Clippers News

Clippers make way for Griffin
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July 2
L.A. Daily News
 
"Not to worry, Blake Griffin will have plenty of room to operate. The Clippers agreed to a deal Wednesday that will send power forward Zach Randolph to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for guard Quentin Richardson, according to two NBA sources with knowledge of the deal. Though the Clippers were reluctant to trade Randolph - a solid 20-point, 10-rebound- a-game player whom they had targeted in a trade last season - the move was made to clear playing time for Griffin, the No. 1 overall pick in last week's draft. Due to league rules, the deal can not be completed until next week. Randolph was the team's leading scorer and second-leading rebounder last season. He averaged 20.9 points, 9.4 ..."
Clippers send Zach Randolph to Memphis for Quentin Richardson
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July 2
L.A. Daily News
 
"Not to worry, Blake Griffin will have plenty of room to operate. The Clippers agreed to a deal Wednesday that will send power forward Zach Randolph to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for guard Quentin Richardson, according to two NBA sources with knowledge of the deal. Though the Clippers were reluctant to trade Randolph - a solid 20-point, 10-rebound- a-game player whom they had targeted in a trade last season - the move was made to clear playing time for Griffin, the No. 1 overall pick in last week's draft. Due to league rules, the deal can not be completed until next week. Randolph was the team's leading scorer and second-leading rebounder last season. He averaged 20.9 points, 9.4 ..."
Clippers to trade Zach Randolph for Quentin Richardson
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July 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"Zach, we hardly knew ye. Having become the all-time leading Los Angeles Clippers scorer in his 39 games with the team, Zach Randolph was packaged for delivery to Memphis on Wednesday when the teams agreed to a deal that will bring back former Clipper Quentin Richardson, and open a starting spot for rookie Blake Griffin. Because of salary cap rules, the deal can't be completed until next week. A Clippers spokesman had no comment. Randolph, a low-post scoring machine, averaged 20.9 points a game in his short stint here, eclipsing Elton Brand's Los Angeles Clippers career mark of 20.3. Randolph arrived three weeks into the season in a trade with the Knicks, and was a core part of their plans ..."
It could be a low-key summer for Clippers Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times The Clippers' Steve Novak goes against the Lakers' Lamar Odom.
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July 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"Free agency started Tuesday night, and for the Clippers, it was a leisurely day, the majority of their dealings done by lunchtime. The team extended a qualifying offer to forward Steve Novak, making the first-year Clipper a restricted free agent. Novak averaged 6.9 points and 16.4 minutes last season, and made about $1 million. "We like Steve's ability to shoot the ball and what he brought to us. He gave us some good minutes last year," said Mike Dunleavy, the team's coach and general manager. Under league rules, the Clippers had until Tuesday to make an offer to Novak. Now a restricted free agent, he can sign an offer sheet with any team, which the Clippers can match. In other moves, ..."
Clippers extend qualifying offer to Steve Novak Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times The Clippers' Steve Novak goes against the Lakers' Lamar Odom.
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July 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Clippers have extended a qualifying offer to forward Steve Novak, making him a restricted free agent. The club also announced today that guard Ricky Davis has exercised his contract option for the 2009-10 season and forward Brian Skinner has decided not to exercise his option for the upcoming season, which makes him an unrestricted free agent. The Clippers also decided not to exercise their team option on guard Alex Acker. Novak averaged 6.9 points and shot 42% from three-point range in 71 games last season, his third in the NBA. Under league rules, the Clippers had until today to make a qualifying offer to Novak. As a restricted free agent, he may sign an offer sheet with any team, ..."
No. 1 picks get paid for their pain
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June 30
Orange County Register
 columnist Marcia C. Smith
"It's hard to know how to feel about the fates of Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin and Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, the first overall selections in their respective NBA and NFL drafts. Griffin, on Thursday, became a Clipper. Stafford, this past April, became a Detroit Lion. Should we have sympathy for them as innocent victims of a draft system that lets every year's best players get publicly abducted by the worst, supposedly neediest and sometimes most dysfunctional franchises? Or should we have indifference since both talents get to be filthy rich for the time they will have to spend with franchises with longer histories of problems than Jon and Kate times eight? In college, the ..."
Clippers' No. 1 pick Griffin rolls up sleeves and gets to work
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June 30
L.A. Daily News
 
"Clippers assistant general manager Neil Olshey's phone rang at 8:30a.m. Saturday. Surprise, surprise. It was Blake Griffin. The newest Clipper, selected first overall in Thursday's NBA draft after more than a month of buildup, had flown into Los Angeles and was ready to get to work. "I got a call from him asking if I could track down the strength and conditioning coaches to get him into the gym," Olshey said. "And by 11a.m. he went through a full weight workout, got treatment, was on the floor for two hours and was right back at it again. "How many guys," Olshey asked, "are going to get a full 2"
Is Clippers' Griffin ready to take on L.A.?
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June 26
Orange County Register
 
"Newest Clipper Blake Griffin was the top story in the glamorous L.A. sports market after Thursday night's NBA Draft. The Clippers hope Griffin can help them make noise for the rest of his career, too. Regularly an afterthought in shadows of the Lakers, UCLA and recently USC, Los Angeles' other basketball franchise officially selected the standout All-American with its top overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. "When nobody expects you to do something, you have time to work, time to build, and hopefully that's what we'll do," Griffin said. "Hopefully over the next year or two years make playoff pushes and become a team that's regularly in the post season." One draft can't rewrite the Clippers' ..."
Clippers OK their No. 1 pick
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June 26
L.A. Daily News
 
"Five minutes after the start of Thursday's NBA Draft, Blake Griffin took the stage at Madison Square Garden, astutely dressed in a businesslike black suit and purple shirt at Madison Square Garden, ending weeks of near-certainty that he would be the Clippers' selection as the first overall pick. Wait, a purple shirt? The color of that other team in Los Angeles? "It was accidental," a chuckling Griffin said. "I didn't think about it until right before the draft. Someone brought it up to me and said the next time you wear purple it would be a $5,000 fine, so I'll make sure I don't make that mistake again." The Clippers had their eyes locked on the 6-foot-10 Oklahoma forward since May 19, ..."
Clippers ride steady ship in sea of NBA draft madness
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June 26
L.A. Daily News
 columnist Ramona Shelburne
"So the Clippers didn't screw it up after all. Not that Mike Dunleavy"
Clippers stay true to word and draft Blake Griffin
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June 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"Taking Blake Griffin with the No. 1 selection in the NBA draft was the incredibly simple move for the Clippers, the painfully easy open jumper, if you will. Now comes the hard part. "It's definitely going to take time, and it's not all about me," said Griffin on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. He was speaking minutes after the Clippers took him at No. 1, just the way General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy said they would do so back on the night of the draft lottery in May. The 20-year-old from Oklahoma was accurate when he said it wasn't all about him. So, who else will it be about? And who won't it be about? Those will be the pressing questions in the giddy aftermath of ..."
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin headed to Clippers as No. 1 pick in NBA Draft
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June 26
New York Daily News
 
"There's nothing like going from sleepy Norman, Okla., to the bright lights of Hollywood. That's the dream journey Blake Griffin took when he was selected, to no one's surprise, with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, by the L.A. Clippers. "Let's put it this way," Griffin said. "I won't be bored when I'm not playing." When he is playing, he'll just happen to be on the wrong court at L.A.'s Staples Center. The Lakers, once again, are champs. Griffin's new team, the co-tenant Clippers, are perennial chumps. Like that's news to the former Oklahoma star forward. "I'm not competing against the Lakers; I'm competing against 29 other teams," he said in New York on the eve of the draft. "I'm ..."
Clippers take Oklahoma's Griffin with No. 1 pick
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June 25
Orange County Register
 
"The Clippers selected Blake Griffin with their first overall pick in the NBA Draft Thursday evening in New York. Griffin, the consensus overall favorite from Oklahoma, joins a franchise coming off a 19-63 season - its worst since 1999-2000. "Man just relief. It's great to know exactly where I'm going, to have it set in stone," Griffin said on ESPN. "I'm not worried about what's happened in the past. I'm only looking forward to the future." Griffin averaged 22 points and 14 rebounds per game his sophomore season, leading the NCAA with 30 double-doubles."
Clippers, Lakers feeling a draft
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June 25
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Clippers intend to keep the No. 1 overall pick in today's NBA draft. They intend toAll-American Blake Griffin of the University of Oklahoma. They intend to add him to a group of recent draft picks that includes Eric Gordon and Al Thornton. That's the Clippers' plan, anyway. "The pick is not going anywhere," Neil Olshey, the Clippers' assistant general manager, promised earlier this week. "We're not going to miss an opportunity to add another great young 20-year-old player." The Clippers are looking for a do-over after finishing with a puny 19-63 record. Meanwhile, a few miles down the freeway, the newly crowned NBA champion Lakers haven't got a clue what they might do with their three ..."
Clippers hope Blake Griffin can change their fortunes
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June 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"Jimmy Fallon executed a neat spin move in the bustling hallway outside the various green rooms at his show at NBC and looked up at the future of a basketball franchise. "Oh my God, you're the tallest dude," Fallon said, craning his head to see Blake Griffin. That established, he moved on to another physical point. They compared the size of their hands, at Fallon's request. It wasn't quite like an adult compared to a small child but you get the idea in terms of disparity -- almost like Griffin looming over fellow guest Abigail Breslin on the Fallon set Tuesday night. Just call Griffin Not-So-Little Mister Sunshine. That's almost the impact Griffin has had on the oft-beleaguered Clippers ..."
Griffin readies for competition
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June 24
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Big 12's last two player of the year recipients have something in common — they were both selected no later than No. 2 in their respective draft classes. Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley were drafted No. 2 overall in 2007 and '08. Blake Griffin, this year's Big 12 player of the year, is expected to best them both by going No. 1 overall on Thursday to the Los Angeles Clippers. Surprisingly, all three play small or power forward but each brings something different to the game. In 2007 when Durant came out of Texas, he provided Oklahoma City a lengthy, explosive offensive player that could score from any spot on the floor. In 2008, Beasley provided Miami the power forward with strength, ..."
NBA draft preview: Big men
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June 24
Dallas Morning News
 
"As far as anybody knows, Blake Griffin won't bring a rabbit's foot with him to Thursday's NBA draft. No four-leaf clover. No horseshoe or wishbone. But maybe he should. He won't need any of those lucky charms to be the No. 1 overall pick. That's a given. But he should keep something with him during the draft that oozes good karma. After all, if anybody can mess up a sure-fire, dead-solid-perfect No. 1 draft pick, it's the Los Angeles Clippers. That should be Griffin's only worry. The black cloud that never seems to stray far from the Clippers is the only thing that could ruin this moment. Bad things just seem to happen to the Clippers. But maybe, just maybe, that trend is ready to ..."
Clippers Want Griffin, but Little Else in N.B.A. Draft Is Clear
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June 24
New York Times
 
"When Blake Griffin takes a purposeful stroll of splendor across the stage Thursday night and locks hands with Commissioner David Stern, he will grin widely, unlike most other players whose professional careers began with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers have not exactly been clandestine after winning the N.B.A. draft lottery. Mike Dunleavy, their coach and general manager, immediately flew home from a scouting trip in Barcelona, Spain. And the Clippers held only one predraft workout with Griffin, who was the lone invitee. Being the No. 1 overall pick will bring comfort to Griffin, the all-American Oklahoma forward, but there will be uneasiness for his peers. "We've made it clear ..."
Clippers' secret is out
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June 21
Los Angeles Times
 
"Hey, I just heard the Clippers got Blake Griffin! Oops! I mean they got the first pick in the draft, and are expected to take Griffin . . . the way the sun is expected to rise in the east on draft day. A lot happened while the Lakers were off winning their title. Having drawn the top pick, the Clippers announced they'd take Griffin, a no-brainer . . . only to be reprimanded by the league for giving away the secret. It's true. There's now a rule that says if you want to say whom you'll take, you can't, because they need the "drama" for the ESPN telecast. To the Clippers' dismay, they then had to stay silent amid reports they were wavering between Griffin and Ricky Rubio -- Same old ..."
All-Star Game returns to Staples
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June 8
Orange County Register
 
"The NBA All-Star Game will return to Staples Center in 2011, marking the fifth time the mid-season event has been held in Los Angeles. The game was last played in Southern California in 2004. NBA commissioner David Stern said the decision to bring back the All-Star Game after just seven years was based on several factors, such as amenities, hotel accommodations and the close proximity of the L.A. Convention Center. "When we started to look at the rotation, this seemed a good time to do it. Tim (Leiweke, AEG president and CEO) gave us good guarantees also," Stern said jokingly. The game could translate into $100 million for the local economy, a fact that pleased L.A. Mayor Antonio ..."
Blake Griffin impresses in workout for Clippers
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June 7
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Lake Show and the Blake Show. One was in El Segundo on Saturday, and the other followed later in the afternoon at Playa Vista. The former involved the Lakers, operating in the present, and seemingly the first team to be handed an NBA championship after one game in the Finals. The latter, an open workout, represented a step into the future for the Clippers and Blake Griffin, the 6-foot-10 power forward they said they would take with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft this month. These events were neatly paired to take advantage of the presence of the national media here for the NBA Finals, to show off the Clippers' swank practice facility and to show off the national college player of the ..."
Despite poor economy, NBA will not eliminate luxury tax
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June 5
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Although several teams have taken a hit financially, NBA Commissioner David Stern said Thursday the league has no plans to eliminate the luxury tax until the economy recovers. With his team's player payroll projected to exceed $76 million, Hornets owner George Shinn could have to pay a luxury tax bill of more than $5 million next summer. The Hornets were one of the 12 teams that received loans from the league this spring. Since 2003, 17 of the league's 30 teams have borrowed $2 billion since the league began establishing a line of credit for loans used by teams. "There's a difference between choosing to and having a need to," Stern said at state of his league address before Thursday's ..."
He will always be Elgin Baylor
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June 2
Los Angeles Times
 
"Good news for Elgin: He'll always be Elgin However Elgin Baylor was treated as Clippers general manager, he had enough time to remedy that in 22 years, if only by leaving. His Achilles' heel was his love for the job. It was especially sad because of the towering figure he had always been. He was the one who refused to play in West Virginia when the Lakers' hotel wouldn't accept their African American players. He was the one who turned Lakers owner Bob Short around in 1964 when the All-Stars refused to play until they got a pension plan and Short pounded on the dressing room door, demanding Baylor and Jerry West come out. As Tom Heinsohn later remembered in Thomas J. Whalen's book, ..."
Trade in works? Thunder has shot at Blake Griffin
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May 25
The Oklahoman
 
"Hours after last Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery, the official Web site for the lottery-winning Los Angeles Clippers had already plastered a photo of Blake Griffin on its home page in hopes of generating season ticket sales. But by Friday morning, the team's site had adjacent shots of Griffin and Ricky Rubio, implying this year's top selection is a debate rather than the no-brainer decision that led general manager and coach Mike Dunleavy to pronounce, "Clearly we're taking Blake Griffin."It was a not-so subtle switcheroo that suggested Griffin might not find his way on the Clippers' roster after all come opening night, and the Thunder still has a shot at nabbing the homegrown star ..."
As Lakers battle Nuggets, L.A.'s other team hits it big in NBA draft lottery
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May 23
New York Daily News
 columnist Mitch Lawrence
"As the Lakers try to figure out where Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum have gone in their Western Conference finals against Denver, the other team in Los Angeles has stumbled upon a big man who could pay huge dividends in the future. By winning the NBA draft lottery, the Clippers can add the best player in next month's draft in Blake Griffin. Projected to go No. 1, the former Oklahoma star won't put the Clippers in the Lakers' class - they're still a superstar away from that level. But he'll give them an athletic scorer who measures over 6-10 with his sneakers on and could surprise a few people. Thinking they'd be drafting third - where they were projected to finish - the Clips went into the ..."
Blake Griffin perfect fit for Clippers
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May 21
The Oklahoman
 columnist Jenni Carlson
"Blake Griffin has made amazing things happen on the basketball court. Still, this might be too much.Save the Clippers? This is a team that has been in the draft lottery more times than any other NBA franchise. Tuesday night was their 20th appearance, which means they've made the playoffs only four times since the lottery was started 24 years ago.And now, this perennial lottery team has its sights set on Big Blake. Los Angeles snagged the top pick in this year's NBA Draft, and while team president Andy Roeser didn't have a Clippers jersey with Griffin's name stashed under his chair, he did have a No. 23 sewn into the lining of his suit jacket. Oddly, Roeser was shy about showing off that ..."
Griffin already a Clippers selling point
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May 21
Los Angeles Times
 
"Scan the Clippers' website and you'll see Blake Griffin prominently displayed to help ticket sales for next season. The NBA draft doesn't start until June 25, but the Clippers have the No. 1 pick and don't need to treat scouting reports as intelligence briefings. "Clearly, we're taking Blake Griffin," Clippers General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy told The Times on Tuesday. By marketing Griffin on the website, signs suggest the Clippers won't use him as trade bait. But you never know. After all, they're the Clippers. If fans buy tickets before the Clippers trade Griffin, what would they be watching? Just another Clippers game."
Clippers have trump card, but Dallas Mavericks will eye LA's discards
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May 21
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Mavericks watched with a keen and opportunistic eye as the NBA's draft lottery went down Tuesday night. The results have been resonating through the league since the Los Angeles Clippers won the No. 1 overall pick and, presumably, the rights to Oklahoma's Blake Griffin. Even the historically bumbling Clippers can't mess this one up, right? Rest assured, a ton of teams will be waiting to pounce if they do. That includes the Mavericks, who are keeping close tabs on wide-ranging personnel situations as they enter what figures to be a very active off-season for many teams. Draft scenarios became more complicated when the Clippers won the lottery. They already have big men Marcus Camby, ..."
Clippers' draft windfall could trickle down to Dallas Mavericks
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May 21
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"The Dallas Mavericks watched with a keen and opportunistic eye as the NBA's draft lottery went down Tuesday night. The results have been resonating through the league since the Los Angeles Clippers got the No. 1 overall pick and, presumably, the rights to Oklahoma's Blake Griffin. Even the historically bumbling Clippers can't mess this one up, right? Rest assured, a ton of teams will be waiting to pounce if they do. That includes the Mavericks, who are keeping close tabs on wide-ranging personnel situations entering what figures to be a very active off-season for many teams. Draft scenarios became more complicated when the Clippers won the lottery. They have big men Marcus Camby, Chris ..."
Clippers strike the right combination
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May 20
Washington Times
 
"Tuesday ended up being a lucky night for the Los Angeles Clippers, who wound up with the top pick - presumably Blake Griffin - despite having only a 17.7 percent chance of winning the NBA Draft lottery. A little more than an hour before the sealed envelopes were delivered on stage at NBA Entertainment headquarters, the actual lottery played out in a guarded room three floors up and in front of representatives from 13 of the 14 teams (the Clippers didn't have anyone in the room) and a handful of league employees. And the Clippers proved to be twice as lucky as any team in the lottery. At 7:20 p.m., the 14 pingpong balls were inserted into the glass drum scrambling machine and mixed for 20 ..."
Chicago Bulls could profit from Los Angeles Clippers draft position
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May 20
Chicago Tribune
 
"The Bulls sat out the NBA draft lottery for just the second time in 11 years, but that doesn't mean Tuesday night's proceedings didn't have potential impact for them. The Clippers, one of the NBA's most woebegone franchises, vaulted from the third-best chance to win the lottery by cashing in their 17.7 percent chance at the No. 1 pick. Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin is the presumptive No. 1 pick, which would make the Clippers' glut of big men even more of an issue. While Zach Randolph's contract is virtually impossible to move, the Bulls have had past interest in both Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby. Camby has only one year remaining on a contract that will pay him 7.65 million next season. ..."
Clippers hit jackpot in NBA draft lottery
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May 20
New York Daily News
 
"The L.A. Clippers were upset winners in the Blake Griffin sweepstakes Tuesday night, vaulting over Washington and Sacramento to land the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery in Secaucus. "It's a great day for Clipper fans," said Clipper president Andy Roeser, whose team had only a 17.7% chance of landing the No. 1 pick. "We're going to get a great player who will help our franchise for a long, long time." Roeser didn't mention Griffin by name, but the former Oklahoma star forward is the consensus top pick in the June 25 draft and seen as a potential All-Star. "Hopefully, I can make a big impact," Griffin said after he saw that the Clippers had won their first lottery since 1998, when they ..."
So what happens after the ClippersGriffin in NBA Draft?
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May 20
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist John Smallwood
"IT'S AMAZING how 2 years of the 76ers making the playoffs can make you forget about the NBA's bottom-dwellers' annual meeting in Secaucus, N.J.Yes, it's draft lottery time, when the dredges of the NBA get rewarded for their miserable seasons by looking toward a better day.This year's lottery winner and recipient of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft is the Los Angeles Clippers, who had the third-best odds of winning at 17.7 percent.The Memphis Grizzlies will pick second and the Oklahoma City Thunder third. The Sacramento Kings, who had the worst record in the league, slipped to fourth and the Washington Wizards will pick fifth.The consensus thought is that the Clippers, who have the first ..."
Clippers hit the lottery, get No. 1 NBA draft pick
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May 20
Los Angeles Times
 
"Danny Manning, Michael Olowokandi . . . and now Blake Griffin. The Clippers have twice had the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, and will get it again for a third time, having won the league's draft lottery Tuesday night at Secaucus, N.J. "Clearly, we're taking Blake Griffin," Clippers General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy said in a telephone interview from Barcelona, Spain. "This guy is the No. 1 pick. We're extremely excited. He's the guy." There wasn't much of a question the Clippers would do anything other than take the dynamic, explosive forward from Oklahoma. Dunleavy, though, wasn't about to be coy in the wee morning hours in Spain and erased any shred of doubt about the team's ..."
Clippers strike it rich with No. 1 pick in NBA draft
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May 20
L.A. Daily News
 
"The usual gift for a 25th anniversary is silver. The Clippers got gold. The team's luck took a turn for the better when they won the 25th NBA draft lottery and the chance to pick first on June 25. It's the first time the Clippers have had the No. 1 overall pick in more than a decade, and the third time since the lottery was instituted in 1985. The Clippers had the third-best chance of landing the No. 1 pick - behind Sacramento, which had the league's worst record (and the highest chance at 25percent) and Memphis (at 17.8 percent). However, the ping-pong balls landed in the Clippers' favor and pushed Sacramento to fourth and Memphis to second. Oklahoma City got the third pick. Immediately ..."
Clippers Win Draft Lottery; Knicks Are 8th, Nets 11th
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May 20
New York Times
 
"Los Angeles Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy was in Spain on Tuesday to study prospects for the N.B.A. draft. By the end of the night here — about 3 a.m. in Barcelona — Dunleavy had started to look for flights back to the United States. Good luck rained on the hard-luck Clippers on Tuesday. The Clippers, one of the most maligned franchises in part because of their questionable draft history, won the lottery at the NBA Entertainment Studio, leapfrogging two spots from their projected draft spot. Now they will presumably have the first crack at Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin. "After going through a lot of pain, it's a nice payoff," Dunleavy said in a telephone interview. "In a situation where ..."
Clippers prepare for NBA Draft Lottery Joe Murphy / Getty Images The Clippers have a 17.7% chance of ending up with the No. 1 draft pick and a shot at getting Oklahoma's Blake Griffin.
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May 19
Los Angeles Times
 
"Mike Dunleavy, the Clippers' general manager and coach, settled into his seat to watch a potential Clipper of the future. Good passer, he thought. Dunleavy also liked the way the player shot during the pre-game warmups. Then, Ricky Rubio got hurt. Twelve minutes in. Wait a minute. Isn't the Clippers curse supposed to hit players after they get drafted by the organization, not beforehand? And so much for Dunleavy's long scouting mission to Spain to check out 18-year-old Rubio. But Dunleavy was assured that Rubio's injury -- believed to be a groin injury or a hip pointer -- was not serious and that he would be playing again in short order so Dunleavy could better evaluate the dynamic guard. ..."
Owners occupy penthouse and basement
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May 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"When it comes to a ranking of NBA owners, Los Angeles has the best and worst. SI.com recently ranked the top five and bottom five owners in the four major sports leagues, with the Lakers' Jerry Buss finishing first and the Clippers' Donald Sterling last. The website's take on Buss: "In retrospect, Lakers fans almost feel silly for calling Buss onto the carpet for dealing Shaquille O'Neal and putting up with Kobe Bryant's repeated trade requests. All is well in Lakerland again, as the organization has rebuilt itself into what may be the third dynasty of Buss' tenure. "The Lakers made the postseason for the 28th time during Buss' 31 years. They've also won more than 60 games eight times, not ..."
People skills made Chuck Daly a dream to play for
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May 11
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"THOSE WHO knew him well will tell you that Chuck Daly probably was as good with X's-and-O's as the next basketball coach. It wasn't his strongest trait, though. What made Daly one of the most revered coaches of his or any era was his uncanny knack for knowing what buttons to push to transform a disparate group of individuals into a cohesive unit. Daly, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 2001, died of pancreatic cancer Saturday morning in Jupiter, Fla., at the age of 78. With the exception of a wretched half-season with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a rookie NBA head coach in 1981-82, Daly was a winner everywhere he went. And, ..."
Daly ends battle with cancer
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May 10
Charlotte Observer
 
"Chuck Daly once described himself as "a journeyman coach who got lucky with some players in Detroit." He didn't really believe that, of course, but that was part of Daly's self-deprecating charm, his enduring appeal. He didn't need to act important all the time, or remind people with pithy slogans how much of a defensive innovator he was. Maybe that was because he didn't become a head coach in the NBA until he was 51, a champion with the Pistons until he was 58. He was a dues-payer and a lifer in the truest sense. In his final days, as pancreatic cancer stole this dapper 78-year-old's trademark vigor, he was surrounded by, among others, Billy Cunningham and Rollie Massimino, the ..."
'Bad Boys' coach won two titles
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May 10
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Chuck Daly, the Hall of Fame basketball coach who led the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles, then the U.S. Dream Team to the 1992 Olympic gold medal, died Saturday in Jupiter, Fla. He was 78. Mr. Daly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two months ago. In his honor, NBA coaches have worn "CD" pins during the postseason. Born in 1930 in St. Marys, Pa., Mr. Daly was a Depression baby, who used to tell a young Doug Collins, "I don't trust happiness." Mr. Daly's rise was as improbable as that of his Pistons, a widely-hated team that reveled in its nickname, "Bad Boys," as it unseated the Larry Bird Celtics and the Magic Johnson Lakers. He began humbly at Punxsutawney High School, in ..."
Clippers lose draft tiebreaker to Wizards
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April 18
Los Angeles Times
 
"No, it was hardly a death blow in the Blake Griffin sweepstakes. Call it a most glancing of blows, if that. The Clippers and Washington tied for the league's second-worst record this season at 19-63, ahead of only Sacramento, and on Friday, the tie was broken by a coin flip at the NBA's Board of Governors meeting in New York. Washington won. This means that the Wizards have a 17.8% shot at winning the draft lottery, on May 19, and getting the No. 1 pick and a shot at Griffin, the power forward from Oklahoma. The Clippers have a 17.7% chance of the top pick. Sacramento's reward for finishing last is a 25% shot at No 1. Additionally, the Clippers will pick no lower than sixth in the draft. ..."
Clippers have excuses, not fixes
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April 17
L.A. Daily News
 columnist Ramona Shelburne
"At some point in this lost season, even coach Mike Dunleavy got tired of hearing the excuses come out of his mouth. Injuries, lack of chemistry, bad luck, a tough schedule. The refrain was as familiar as it was nauseat- ing. An excuse for every loss, which at times felt like every day of the week. All the Clippers' loyal fans could do was "boo," hold up handmade signs calling for Dunleavy's head or vent to postgame-show host Dave Denholm. But while there might be a bit of catharsis to be had in such gestures, none of that will fix the mess that the Clippers became in this 19-63 season. The hard truth is, excuses are much easier to come up with than answers. The good news is, Dunleavy and ..."
Jazz bounce back against Clippers
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April 14
Salt Lake Tribune
 
"Jarron Collins took a look at the locker room board Monday, with Matt Harpring's name written among the starters for the first time this season, and jokingly announced: "He's back." Then he advised Harpring to jump into the whirlpool to ready his 32-year-old body. Not only was Harpring back, so were the Jazz, at least for one night. With Harpring hustling from the very first minute, the Jazz won for only the second time in their last eight games, taking a 106-85 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Jazz couldn't get the help they needed as Dallas beat Minnesota 96-94 on Jason Terry's jumper with 0.2 seconds left. They remain the Western Conference's eighth-place team, trailing both ..."
Blazers gut out a victory
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April 12
Oregonian
 
"It wasn't a victory against a Western Conference juggernaut. The intensity inside the Staples Center was anything but playoff-like. And the Trail Blazers practically sleepwalked through the better part of the game. But the Blazers' 87-72 victory over the lowly Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night served as perhaps the perfect reminder of how far this once-beleaguered franchise has come. It's easy to forget, as the Blazers rack up convincing victories over the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs and fight for home court advantage in the playoffs, that just four seasons ago the Blazers were a last-place laughingstock coasting to a 21-win season at this point. But the reminders were ..."
It's not easy, but Blazers slip past Clippers
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April 12
Portland Tribune
 
"With 7:30 to go, after a driving layup by Eric Gordon, the Clippers led 68-66 and had everyone in Staples thinking upset. Then the Blazers, led by Rudy Fernandez, went on an 18-0 tear that buried the lowly Clippers. It was the eighth win in nine games for Portland (52-28), which ends with a 20-21 regular-season record. The Blazers finish the regular season with a pair of games at the Rose Garden - Monday against Oklahoma City and Wednesday against Denver. The Nuggets (53-27) can clinch the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs and a share of the Northwest Division championship by winning at home against Sacramento on Sunday. If Portland wins its last two games, it will earn ..."
Kings reach new low with rout by Clippers
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April 11
Sacramento Bee
 
"The hecklers began to serenade the Kings with four minutes remaining in the game. A few others joined in, screaming the lyrics "Hey, hey, hey, goodbye." The song could, and probably should, have started in the opening minutes of Friday night's 109-78 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. The Kings remained flat-footed throughout the lopsided scoring fest between the NBA's bottom-feeders. The game began with the Clippers taking a 35-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. Their momentum never slowed, much to the delight of the announced crowd of 18,232, which has witnessed 11 Clippers home wins this season. "It's absolutely embarrassing," Kings interim coach Kenny Natt said. ..."