Has the Little Brother Finally Grown Up? - Los Angeles Clippers Season Preview

Can't believe they got Dwight too.

Starting Five: PG Chris Paul, G Eric Bledsoe, SF Caron Butler, PF Blake Griffin, C DeAndre Jordan

Key Bench Players: G Chauncey Billups, SG Jamal Crawford, SG Willie Green, SF Matt Barnes, SF Grant Hill, PF Lamar Odom, C Ryan Hollins, C Ronnie Turiaf

Key Additions: SG Jamal Crawford, SF Grant Hill, PF Lamar Odom

Key Departures: G Mo Williams, SG Nick Young, G Randy Foye, PF Kenyon Martin, PF Reggie Evans

Despite having Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the poor Clippers can't catch a break in Los Angeles or in the Pacific Division. Perhaps they were expecting the Lakers to slowly decline while trying to ride Kobe off into the sunset? Unfortunately, that's not how the Lakers roll and they managed to completely retool on the fly, retaining all their core assets except Bynum and adding two superstars. That's gotta hurt for the Clippers, who were probably planning on flipping the switch this year and triumphing over their cross-town rivals to win their FIRST Pacific Division crown.

The continued relevance of the Purple and Gold aside, this team has a lot of pieces, but there is an equal number of question marks here. Although they have several young superstars surrounded by a tantalizing combination of young talent and veteran leadership, this roster doesn't scream title contender in an increasingly top-heavy NBA. Forget the Heat. Would this team even be favored against the aging Spurs?

Why Blake Griffin's Injury Ruins the 2012-2013 Clippers...and Beyond

This week, Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The All-NBA Second Team forward was hurt during a workout for the US Olympic team, which he had made ironically because two forwards in front of him, LaMarcus Aldridge and Chris Bosh, are recovering from in-season injuries. Coach and current front office executive Vinny del Negro stated after the surgery that the Clippers were "very confident that he'll be back for training camp and get back to 100%. So, as bad as that news is, it's probably the best news that we could have gotten, which is great." As news from Vinny is so many times, that statement couldn't be any less illuminated. The injury to Griffin is relatively small, but the minimalist nature of the surgery couldn't be more different than that potentially irreparable effect that it could have on the Clippers' 2012-2013 season, and every season going forward.

Instant Trade Analysis: Odom Comes Home

Utah Jazz get: Mo Williams, draft rights to Shan Foster

YOUR Los Angeles Clippers get: Lamar Odom

Houston Rockets get: draft rights to Furkan Aldemir

Dallas Mavericks get: draft rights to Tadija Dragicevic, cash from Houston, and a relief from the pain and suffering brought by The Kardashian Curse

Odom's 2.4 million dollar salary would have become a hefty 8.2 by tomorrow if Dallas couldn't pull off a miracle. Enter the Utah Jazz and their Mormon kindness, willing to take disgruntled backup combo guard Mo Williams from the Clippers, to facilitate a four-way deal.

The Most Clippers-y Clippers Team Ever

Let's go over the laundry list of what the 2011-2012 Los Angeles Clippers accomplished this year:

• .606: Their best winning percentage ever, years in Buffalo and San Diego included
• 40 wins: Their 8th highest total ever...even with only a 66-game season
• 2nd Place in the Pacific Division: Only the 2nd time they've ever finished that high (2006) in LA, and only the third time overall (1974-75)
• Wins a playoff series for the 3rd time ever
• Wins their first ever 7 game series
• Wins a playoff Game 7 for the first time ever
• 2 NBA All-Stars: Only the second time two players were ever selected to the All-Star team together (1976: Randy Smith & Bob McAdoo in Buffalo)
• 2 NBA All-Star Starters: The first time any Clipper was selected an All-Star starter, let alone two at the same time
• Chris Paul on 1st Team All-NBA: This isn't official yet, but I would be incredibly surprised if Chris Paul wasn't the first 1st Teamer since Bob McAdoo in 1976
• Breaks a 17-game losing streak in San Antonio, dating back to January 31st, 2002
• Breaks a 16-gamer losing streak in Utah, dating back to January 21st, 2004

In short, this has been the greatest Clippers season in their entire 42 year history, including their brief, but slightly more successful tenures in Buffalo and San Diego. A team who's basketball plans always laid in the future, owner Donald Sterling finally had a squad that was ready for the present. Faced with unprecedented preseason expectations, the Clips in many ways exceeded them. Now merely dark horse pick to make a run to the NBA Finals, at one time many had lofty expectations that this team could be title contenders. They finished the season with 40 wins, good for a .606 winning percentage, slightly better than their 1974-1975 Buffalo Braves antecedents. Within those 40 W's includes two wins that broke gigantic losing streaks in the fortresses of San Antonio and Utah, dating back nearly a decade.

Western Conference 2nd Round Preview

The never-ending first round of the NBA playoffs has finally concluded, with both LA teams winning some unbelievably close Game 7's, the Lakers at home and the Clips on the road in Memphis. The matchups are set and to So Cal's chagrin, pretty lopsided in regards to pre-game prognostication. Bummer.

But that's why we're here Mambinites. The MAMBINO roundtable is here once more to give our official prediction, but also why a curveball could be thrown into the works. Read on, friends.

WWE for a NBA Fan - Pacific Division (Part 6)

Hi, friends. Welcome back for the last installment of WWE for a NBA Fan. For those of you that don't know, in my darkest NBA lockout doldrums, I started concocting alternative entertainment streams for those of us who missed basketball more than our own grandmothers. For a sundry of reasons, I realized that the WWE was a perfect alternative for the NBA, and for reasons that you wouldn't think. Knowing the 30 NBA fan bases, as well as the WWE Superstars as well as I do, I identified and matched up teams with various wrestlers, division by division.

Even though we've been writing these posts for months to little fanfare and zero critical acclaim, Grantland's Masked Man popularized the concept better than we could. In our 1-way rivalry with the mainstream's best pro wrestling writer, we're currently the Virgil to his "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. Except without all the racial discrimination subtext. Hopefully.


Today, we'll be finishing up the series by looking at the Pacific Division.  

MAMBINO's Western Conference Round 1 Playoff Predictions

Unlike the electric first round of the NHL playoffs, the NBA's first round probably won't go into 16 overtime games, nor will there be the type of seismic upsets like the 8th seeded Kings beating the best team in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks. However, amidst the much more predictable nature of the National Basketball Association are some pretty dynamic first round matchups. Other than being entertained by the extra ton of passion that the sometimes lethargic basketball professionals lack from their game, we'll get 4 series from the Western Conference that could go 6 games or more. This compacted 66-game season created a slightly skewed final finish, with teams seeded lower than you'd think, and every series more about the matchup rather than the seeds designated to the teams. The setting for the ever-enticing upset is ripe. Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year.

Check our Western Conference 1st round predictions, MAMBINO-style:

The Rise and Fall of Blake Griffin’s Likeability

Last year, if you asked a random NBA fan to describe Blake Griffin, you’d hear people in awe of his athletic accomplishments. Human highlight film. Incredible dunker. Athletic wunderkind. Freak of nature. In other words, most people’s impressions of Blake Griffin came from Sportcenter’s Top 10 and his YouTube highlights. This year, it’d be a different story entirely. You’d still hear about his dunking, but you’d also hear him called a whiny brat. Coddled superstar. Showboat. How did this dramatic 180 happen so fast, taking place over a few months instead of the years it usually takes an NBA player to establish themselves as a reviled villain?

Winners and Losers of the NBA trade deadline

KOBEsh went to Vegas this past weekend. While there, he decided to spend some time writing about the NBA trade deadline's winners and losers. His dedication is shameful yet endearing.


This post is probably a touch outdated, but the man wants the post run based on principle alone.

Goodbye Clipper Darrell - Another Example of the Classless Clippers

I have always hated the Clippers. Living in Los Angeles for the better part of 22 years, regardless of my general subdued disdain for the team that consistently stains the otherwise pristine sports reputation of my fair city, there were always on the periphery of the daily newspaper or evening news. They'd creep in just below the fold, or on the concluding muffled sentence of a sportscaster's lips. I'd get little bits of news and notes on them no matter how hard I tried to forget their existence.

I tried to forget they existed because stories like today's always made me more upset than I had any reasonable cause to be. I've heard so many anecdotes regarding their idiotic front office or disgraceful owner Donald Sterling, that tuning it out was all I could do to keep my sanity in check.

Today, the team cut any and all ties with their biggest fan. And I couldn't be more upset.

Clippers Curse is Real: Billups out for the year

This is the part where I would usually do my "Life and Times of the Los Angeles Clippers", exhaustively detailing the most ridiculous and painful moments in San Diego turned Los Angeles Clippers history. With the news of Chauncey Billups' season-ending Achilles tear coming to light this afternoon, I would have just another footnote to write with some hilariously appropriate jab for LA's ugly red-headed stepchild. As a life-long Angeleno, I've had a front seat view as the Clips have taken what should be a luxury automobile and repeatedly crashed it head first into a brick wall, only to be repainted with the same red, white and blue colors whose stink can only be identified with one putrid source. They're best known for being the butt of late-night television punch-lines, or one of the first ten names David Stern reads in June. Of course I think of them as a pathetic joke, but mostly I view them as a sports tragedy. In a hotbed of basketball in the second biggest market in country, the infinite resources that other small market teams would kill for are routinely wasted at the hands of an owner who knows how to do nothing but kill what he has. I've gone on record as saying how despicable Donald Sterling is as an owner, but I truly think it's his flaws as a human that lead to the Clippers Curse.

Burning Question #6: Are the Clippers a title contender?

Merry Christmas! For your gift (besides this wonderful blog we do for free...you thankless sack), you will be magically transported to an alternate universe where the Los Angeles Clippers are the talk of the town. In this make-believe land of pretend, the Clips will be predicated as a playoff team by all, and a title contender by most. Chris Paul, the best point guard in the game, will be roving the perimeter, throwing dishes to energetic bigs Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, with All-Stars Caron Butler, Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams bombing from distance. As we drop further into insanity and delusion, this fantasy Clippers team will be talking trash to their 16-time locker room neighbor Lakers, even though they've competed in two exhibition games, had 7 days of training camp and won approximately nothing. But now Christmas is over, and your gift is over. Time to return to reality, where all of this really happened.

WHAT THE EFF? THIS ALL REALLY HAPPENED? WHEN? WHERE? HOW? HUH???

That sums up my feelings on how I feel about the Clippers. I can't believe this happened, and I buy some of the hype, but not all of it. In fact, I can't believe that I even had to use "Are the Clippers a title contender?" as a title for a post. Let's get after it, shall we, friends? And for real, Merry Christmas.

Instant Trade Analysis: Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers

I've always heard that the emotional, initial snap judgment that any person ever has is usually the most rational and sound reaction possible. That all being said, let's get on with the tradition of MAMBINO's instant analysis. Chris Paul has just been traded to the Los Angeles Clippers of Anaheim. Wow.

Clippers get: G Chris Paul
New Orleans gets: G Eric Gordon, F Al-Farouq Aminu, C Chris Kaman, Minnesota's unprotected 2012 1st round draft pick

As a condition to the trade, Chris Paul has to opt-in to his 2012-2013 player option that will pay him roughly $18 million dollars. With the re-upping of DeAndre Jordan and the contract of Caron Butler, the Clippers are up chafing against the salary cap and no doubt making owner Donald Sterling sweat blood.

I see a couple ramifications of this trade, many of which make my heart sad. Let's get on with them:

If I were GM of...the Los Angeles Clippers

(Note: I wrote this over two weeks ago, as my way of stockpiling these to post on slow news days. Anything written below was before any trade rumors for Chris Kaman sprouted. Not that it matters if you believe me, because I'm only as good as my word. And everyone knows that if you can't believe what you read on the internet, then it obviously can't be true)

Other than a few selected outbursts, I've managed to keep my hatred and bile of the Los Angeles Clippers to a minimum. I'm certainly proud of myself, even if no one else is (whomp whomp). Even as they sully my city with their incessant stink of mediocrity, I generally decide to stay away from all issues Clippers-related because a) even with their success, I know they will inevitably do something to screw it up or b) if they are bad, it is simply them acting to form.

Chris Kaman: 12.2 million
Mo Williams: 8.5 million
Blake Griffin: 5.7 million
Randy Foye: 4.25 million
Ryan Gomes: 4 million
Eric Gordon: 3.8 million
Jamario Moon: 3.19 million (team option)
Al-Farouq Aminu: 2.75 million
Eric Bledsoe: 1.6 million
Brian Cook: 1.26 million (player option)
Willie Warren: 788,000
________________________________
Total: 44 million

Expiring:

Rasual Butler: 2.4 million
Craig Smith: 2.3 million
DeAndre Jordan: 854,000
A few other deadbeats: 1 million
________________________________
Total: 6.6 million

1). Pay Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan
Eric Gordon is available for an extension. Pay the man. He's a great young guard, who plays hard in front of passion-less crowds and knows how to defend. He is destined to be the second-best player on this team. He reminds me of a less mouthy Jason Terry, in his prime. Not a bad comparison these days.

As I'll get into later, Chris Kaman is the not the guy going forward. DeAndre Jordan is a freak of nature - a 7 footer with size, speed and athleticism. With a little more patience, a little less pot and thus perhaps some increased intelligence, DeAndre could turn into a Tyson Chandler-like defensive difference-maker on the floor. He's young, so I'll give him a pass for doing at least 3 bone-headed plays in the last 3 minutes of every game, but that's going to have to stop in the coming years. I'd go at least 4 years and 30 million for this guy, going as high as 35 depending on if who gives him an offer sheet.

2). Decide if Al-Farouq Aminu is your man - regardless, sign someone until he's ready....like Andrei Kirilenko.
I said it, I meant it and screwwww you. Don't get me wrong, I like Aminu - the Luol Deng comparisons are uncanny and spot-on. If everything works out, and all their young guys develop (the brand new, never before used strategy for YOUR...2011 Los Angeles Clippers!), the line-up looks like this in a couple years:

PG: Eric Bledsoe
SG: Eric Gordon
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu
PF: Blake Griffin
C: DeAndre Jordan

Not bad, especially if Bledsoe, Aminu and Jordan turn into the quality defenders they could be. But at the present moment, you need to see if Aminu can work in this spot. If not...see no. 4.

But if no trades work out, I think that for this upcoming season, Andrei Kirilenko is the logical fit. He's been criticized pretty heavily the last few years in Utah, but mostly it was because he was getting paid like their first or second-best player, and played like theri fourth best player. What's not to like in this spot? Great defender, shot-blocker, rebounder who can make a couple shots. I love him here and would give him 3 years, 27 million for his services.

3). Draft Kyrie Irving with the number 1 pick and build your bench through the draft
Oh wait, they can't do that. Because they traded away the pick to the Cavs last year. So they could have "free agent flexibility". GM Neil Olshey is an idiot.

Also, as an addition to my recent post, most teams build their bench through shrewd free-agent additions and of course, the draft. Let's look at the last 3 championship squads, shall we?

2009-2010 Los Angeles Lakers

Key Bench Players: Lamar Odom (trade), Shannon Brown (trade), Sasha Vujacic (late first-round pick), Jordan Farmar (late first-round pick), Luke Walton (second-round pick)

2008 Boston Celtics

Key Bench Players: James Posey, PJ Brown, Eddie House, Glen Davis (second-round pick), Leon Powe (second-round pick), Tony Allen (first-round pick)

You build through the draft. You build CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS through the draft. While you can hardly fault the Clippers, as they obviously do not know what winning feels like, still...idiots.

4). Dangle Chris Kaman

I really like Chris Kaman. He's a big 7 footer with great hands and a jump shot. He can rebound pretty well and is more than just a large body on defense. There's nothing he doesn't do well. Tell me, is there any discernible difference in their games between Kaman and Pau's brother, other than the stages they have performed on? Not really. However, the biggest factor in Kaman's career has been his health. He's only played one season in the last four where he played in at least 70 games. The guy can't seem to stay on the floor, and at age 29, it's not like he's getting more durable.

Kaman is in a similar situation as Al Jefferson. While Kaman is a bit older, they are both players whose gigantic expiring (or near expiring in Jefferson's case) contracts are just as valuable as their skill levels at this point. Kaman still provides much value while he's on the floor, and his 12 million dollar expiring is something a lot of teams would love to have - thus, I would do the following:

Let everyone know he's available - at this point, if bloggers from such establishments as THE GREAT MAMBINO (illustrious as it may be) are commenting on how valuable your contract is, pretty much everyone in the league knows. Then, see what you've got. If you can get some first round picks or a valuable but somewhat overpaid player, along the lines of Andre Iguodala or Danny Granger for him, you do it. If not, he's a giant expiring contract and you can use that type of cap room to go after Deron Williams, Chris Paul or Dwight Howard next summer. It's a no lose proposition.

5). Just DON'T screw it up

This suggestion might be the toughest one to hammer out. Just don't screw this one up Clips. Blake Griffin is probably the most important player ever in the history of the franchise. And what's most awful about that statement is that I don't know if there's much debate about it. He is the first player EVER to join the Clippers that has a chance to become a genuine superstar, not just as an athlete, but as an entertainer. Griffin has the right to leave the team in 2 years, but most likely will sign a short extension to stay with the team for a bit longer (let's say 3 additional years to be certain). Thus, the Clippers have 4 seasons to build a contender.

What does this mean? It means not doing things like being stupid and giving up lottery picks. It means not signing bad free agent deals, like a 5 year deal to a guy with a career ridden with injuries and motivation problems AND THEN complaining about it when all these things come to pass. It means not being 6 million below the cap on a yearly basis, but instead spending money on personnel. It means spending money on a coach that knows how to win, not a guy who stumbled into two playoff series because he had Derrick Rose running the offense. It means hiring a staff and importing players that either don't know or care enough about the "Clippers curse" to be affected by it.

This all means that the Clippers don't have to hit a home run right now. They just have to not strike out with the bases loaded. Contact will do just fine. Just don't strike out. Easier said than done.

Neil Olshey is an idiot

At the trade deadline, Los Angeles Clippers traded Baron Davis, the 2 years and $17 million dollars left on his contract and an unprotected 2011 1st Round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

Yesterday was the NBA Draft lottery. For those of you that don't know, every year, in order to stop teams from "tanking" (intentionally losing games to get a higher pick in the draft), there is a lottery to determine the order of draft picks. Thus, even with the worst record in the league, you might not have the number one pick (in fact, the team with the worst record in the league rarely gets the number 1 pick).

The Clippers had a 2.8% chance of getting the top pick after finishing with the 8th worst record in the league. This is nothing new to the Clips – they’ve finished with a top 14 pick every year but 3 in their 27 year tenure in Los Angeles. Do the math here kids; that means they’ve made the playoffs 3 times in their glorious run befouling the name of Los Angeles professional athletics.

The Cavaliers were an absolutely decimated squad this year – LeBron fled to South Beach and took with him the fortunes of the franchise. They finished with the second-worst record in the league which gave them the second best odds of the number one picks – a roughly 20% chance. But that wasn’t the pick that gave them the top spot for the draft in June.

Of course, as is the norm for the Clippers and their accursed history, it was LA’s pick that turned out to be number one.

“Adding Mo Williams and $8.5 m in cap room gives us better odds of improving than a 2.8% chance of winning the lottery.”

The Clippers have been terrible almost every single year of their existence. They’ve won 1 playoff series in Los Angeles. They’ve faced injury after injury and hit every single bad break imaginable. GM Neil Olshey, how did you possibly think that this time would be different than the 27 years preceding this one?

How do you not give that pick top-3 protection? How do you not even give it top-1 protection? I imagine the Cavaliers still would have made that trade with that type of protection on it, considering that they only had a 3% chance of being wrong. They Cavalier needed more talent and they needed to do something to prove to their fan base that they were still working.

The Clippers took a gamble here, and they lost. Obviously they were prepared for that small possibility that the pick could be in the top three. But as a GM, you have to make decisions that eliminate those type of (potentially) franchise changing misfires.

I mentioned at the time that I thought this was a dumb move for the Clips to give up a first rounder. You just don't give up a pick like that when you're ALREADY a terrible team. Neil Olshey is an idiot.

“We had a 97% chance of sitting here tonight with Baron Davis, the 8th pick in a bad draft and no cap flexibility.” - Today

This is such a display of arrogance. Even with a top-10 pick in a draft "you hate", that is such a stupid statement to make. When have the Clippers ever made a free agent signing that improved the team? Baron Davis’ contract was and is abhorrent. Cuttino Mobley gave them a couple good years before heart problems ended his career (yes, heart problems for a guy who was in peak physical condition – only on the Clippers could this happen). But other than that, the Clippers have had next to no notable free agent additions in their history. Every good player that has come to them has been through THE DRAFT and through trades (with picks from THE DRAFT).

Point to any good Clippers player EVER. Danny Manning, Blake Griffin, Lamar Odom, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman and Danny Ferry? Draft picks. Sam Cassel, Elton Brand, Dominique Wilkins, Marcus Camby, Corey Maggette, Andre Miller and Ron Harper? Got all of those guys by trading DRAFT PICKS. Tell me honestly, am I leaving anyone of significance out?

The draft has been the only legitimate source of success (either by keeping the player or trading his rights for another player) for a franchise that has been completely bereft of it in their long history of ineptitude. No one will sign there. Ever. For multiple reasons going beyond just the curse.

Neil Olshey is an idiot.

"Said a Clippers source after the team sent its first-round pick to Cleveland, 'This just shows you how much we hate this draft.'" – Feb 24th, 2011

As the Cavs now have the number 1 (and 4) pick, most people expect them to pick Duke guard Kyrie Irving with the top spot and whoever else is the best on the board with number 4, with the exception of Brandon Knight (another point guard). The Cavs can’t really discriminate with that number 4 pick – they need help at every spot.

Many scouts have favorably compared Irving to Chris Paul, specifically naming similarities their quickness, passing and ability to penetrate.

I hope and pray that Irving turns into CP3 2.0. It would be the only justice appropriate for a franchise that turned it’s back on the only source of success they’ve ever known. The Clippers absolutely deserve to be haunted by their decision making and for disregarding the pathway to rebuilding that every other bad team in the league uses. I cannot wait to watch the Cavs next year as they make the number 8 spot in the playoffs, led by Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving, as the Clippers finish with 38 wins and a tee time at 8 am on April 16th, 2012. I hope Blake Griffin signs with the Thunder in 4 years.

As I told this to my GREAT MAMBINO cohort BockerKnocker today, he noted that most of my rage may stem from hangover Lakers pain. He’s not wrong. But I’m not either. Neil Olshey is an idiot.

Donald Sterling don't care about black people

The Los Angeles Clippers' black history month ad controversial

In a full-page ad today in the Los Angeles Times, the LA Clippers printed an ad with Blake Griffin and owner Donald Sterling which details their intention to support Black History Month by admitting 1,000 underprivelged kids for free into a Clippers game.

Let that one sink in.

But before any criticism, let's give Donald Sterling some credit here. He's putting his own money on the line, which is shocking in itself for this Scrooge McDuck impersonating, morally bereft, putrid wasteland of a human being, and donating tickets to some kids so they can see a professional basketball game. That's nice Donny. Solid. Glad you're giving up 1,000 Clippers tickets with a combined market value of $23 dollars. Asshole.

But let's examine the litany of ways that this is offensive.

1. It's March.

Yeah...Black History Month is in February. It's not Black History Month anymore.
You had a whole month to celebrate Black History Month. Could you not squeeze that one in for all those weeks? Did you forget that February is only 28 days and you thought you had another 2 or 3 to burn?

Some trivia. You know why Black History Month is in February? Because that's when Frederick Douglass' and Abraham's Lincoln's birthdays are. You didn't know that? You don't know who Frederick Douglass is? Then stop reading my blog Donald T. Sterling. You hate mongering arrogant old blowhard.

2. Hmm. So to celebrate Black History Month, you're letting in 1,000 underpriveleged kids for free?

...because there is some sort of correlation between underprivelged kids and the black community? That what you're trying to say here Donald? That's certainly not what I'm saying. But is that what you're saying Donald, you heckling ancient buzzard? Hmm? Hmmmmm? HMMMMMMM?

3. Hmm. So to celebrate Black History Month, you're letting in 1,000 underpriveleged kids for free?

...because you feel like you need to make it up to the black community because there is a ongoing multi-million dollar racial housing discrimation suit pending against you, Donald, you cheap, penny pinching, idiotic assclown? Hmm? Hmmmmm? HMMMMMM?

This whole thing is absolutely fucked. I understand the sentiment. And truly, without mocking, I do believe that it was done with good intentions. But that's where the problem is - arrogance oftens leads to carelessness. Here, in this situation, Sterling chose to be the philantropist and give something to the community. But at the same time, he shows his true colors - thinking he did something so good, so beneficial to society and so altruistic, he lets his mental defenses down and forgets use those few filters that he so commonly has to put in place to put on his public face. So, in this moment of arrogance, Sterling showed his hubris, and thus - his obvious racial stereotyping came to surface. And thus we had this advertisement.

Some Sterling proponents, or even skeptics will say things like "well, you can't necessarily peg this on Donald Sterling. What is to say that someone in marketing or publicity didn't make this up?". There are dozens of people in the Clippers organization. Sterling doesn't write every ad and certainly doesn't oversee every single function of an ordinary business day. Maybe this is something that goes through without his knowledge?

Regardless of whether or not this is Sterling's brainchild or not, the ad is from his organization and branded with his face. His big, fat, wrinkly, decrepit, shit-eating grin slathered face. I refuse to believe that the Clippers have the permission to use their owners crooked visage (which, in the ad is the same size as Blake Griffin's face - the few dozen Clippers fans like the team in spite of you, not because of you, you miserable old racist shitbag).

I will save this rant for another day, but this is truly just another case that this guy is absolutely not fit to run, let alone run, and National Basketball Association team. This is one case in literally dozens that sully the good name of the league and my beloved home town.

Honestly though, I couldn't make up stuff this funny if I TRIED. And believe me, I've tried being funny for 26 years and all that effort has not gotten me anywhere.

Regardless, Mom, can you please get an LA Times for me today so I can frame it? Thanks ma!

Instant Trade Analysis: Baron to the Cavaliers

Cleveland Gets: Baron Davis, Clips 2011 1st rounder

LAC Gets: Jamario Moon, Mo Williams

Wow. You think these two things have anything to do with one another? - Donald Sterling Heckling Baron Davis. Hmmm. Donald Sterling not being behind his players. Interesting.

Baron is owed $28 million for the next two seasons, and a prorated portion of $13 million this season. Mo has two $8.5 mil player options the next two seasons, so (I can't imagine he turns down $17 million dollars - they're not having hour long specials on where Mo Williams will decide to play next season) and Jamario is expiring in a few months. The pick that the Clips will have this season will be in the lottery, anywhere from 1 to 10.

I don't see this as a win for either side, really. Yes, Cleveland gets a lottery pick this year (in a not-so-great draft, but whatever - they get a top-10 pick in an NBA draft to go along with their presumed top-3 pick), but they also get Baron Davis, who signed a big contract to come home to LA who will now pack up his bags to play for the worst team in the league in Ohio. This may work out, because Baron gets super-motivated when the odds are against him and he has to drag a team of stiffs to be at least a competitive team...oh wait, I was thinking of ANY OTHER PLAYER IN THE GAME BESIDES BARON DAVIS.

How could Cleveland possibly think this will work? Baron is barely motivated playing at home with one of the best, most exciting players in the league. What makes them think he's gonna get fired up throwing missed alley-oops to Ryan Hollins and watching Anthony Parker miss from distance after a pretty pass? Baron has pouted in almost every situation he's ever been in - and now he's playing for the worst team in the league with a coach that he famously clashed with in New Orleans (which subsequently got him shipped out to Golden State for Speed Claxton, amongst others. Yeah, for real. Speedy Claxton). This has "disaster" written all over it. I wouldn't be surprised if Baron did something crazy like ask for a $3.00 buyout just so he could get out of there. Or retire. Seriously. I wouldn't be surprised.

On the Clippers side, they got out of Baron's contract (saving about $10 million - hmmm, Donald Sterling cutting costs. Not getting along with his players and making trades that help no one. Interesting....I feel like I'm Bill Murray in Puxatawney, PA). However, he was just starting to get into a rhythm with Blake and if you they even went .500 during their 1-13 start, they'd be a borderline playoff team. Mo Williams is a fine player, but he's not someone you want running your offense (I suppose this means they are turning over the team to Eric Bledsoe, who is more of a true point). However, as I mentioned, they're giving up a top-10 pick. I mostly think this was a mistake because of the principle alone of trading a potentially high lottery pick just to save money essentially (hmmm - Donald Sterling cutting costs. Interesting). On the flip side, the Clippers would probably blow the pick anyway, so I suppose the pick loses value right there.

Jamario Moon has a fun name, and that's about all I have to say about him.

Overall, I guess Cleveland wins, kind of. They used their trade exception from some guy who left in July, gave away a decent player for a guy who might never play for them (even if he plays a game, you're gonna someone who looks like Baron Davis, except this guy will be angry, disinterested, sad, and a little confused all at the same time - think Anthony Randolph minus having watched the Human Centipede 3 times. Maybe only once) and thus essentially paid $28 million for a first round pick in a mediocre draft.

On a sidenote, totally despicable move by Sterling. Baron has not lived up to his contract, sure, but again, he was just starting to get some traction with this team. Next year, with another body, someone through free agency, and a burgeoning Eric Gordon/Griffin/DeAndre core, they could have made a playoff push, or at the very least, been a super fun team to watch. But instead, they shipped him off to the worst possible environment (seriously, think about that - a team with zero upside right now, 2,500 miles away from home - where he was playing - with a historically bad record and a coach he doesn't get along with). Such disrespect for a Los Angeles legend. I hope Baron averages 40 against the Clippers for the rest of his career.