Clipper Fans Fed Up With Dunleavy

kris jackson — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:22:57 -0500

Los Angeles, the city of bright lights and star-studded nights captivate the appeal of millions each year. And what’s not to like about a city with 70-degree weather in the middle of January, luxurious shopping, and beautiful beaches.

Perhaps there’s one ailing element of The City of Angels, especially if you’re a Los Angeles Clippers fan.

There’s no surprise that the LA Clippers are the second rate team of the city; and by looking at their current 2008-09 season standings they’ll remain in the shadows of one of the most dominant teams in NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Although the Clippers aren’t the worst team statistically in the NBA, they’re not too far behind the Washington Wizards (8-32) and Oklahoma City Thunder (8-34.)

With the third worst record in the NBA (9-31) there’s been little to write home about on the performance of the Clippers as of yet. The effort and heart of the team is questioned nightly, leaving fans only to speculate which Clipper team will show up.

But all the blame cannot be placed completely on the newly assembled Clippers roster. Coaching, or lack there of has played a vital role of this franchise for years. Since Mike Dunleavy was appointed head coach of the Clippers in the 2003-04 season, they have only had one winning season in which they’ve made the playoffs.

Clipper fans had a slight glimmer of hope when the 2005-06 team, lead by charismatic and outspoken point man Sam Cassell took the Clips to the Conference Semi-finals, where they faced defeat by the hands of the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns in game seven.

Since the departure of important team leaders such as Cassell, Elton Brand, and Cory Maggette, the Clippers have reverted back to their old ways with two consecutive losing seasons.

There seems to be a lack of team chemistry and trust between both players and coach for the Clippers—and it’s noticeable. For example, teams such as Boston or the Lakers will make an extra pass, consistently make hustle plays, dive for balls, and congratulating one another after made buckets. These positive attributes are seldom seen with the Clippers and the lack of communication results in turnovers and low team morale.

With the amount of talent on the Clippers roster, there is no excuse for their record.

Recently the Clips snapped an 11-game losing streak and pesky injuries continue to plague the franchise. The lack of respect and faith in Dunleavy’s coaching philosophy are reminiscent of the horrific Clippers of the 90s.

Yesterday the world witnessed history with the inauguration of President Barack Obama, which is a true testament to his campaign slogan, “Change” and the Clippers should follow suit and make significant change with it’s coaching staff and personnel.

Dunleavy, with a newly extended contract and general management duties is not deserving of more time dismantling the Clipper franchise.

When does it stop being about the money, and starts being about winning?

It appears Dunleavy is incapable of motivating his team; the fans deserve more effort in a head coach who isn’t okay with losing almost on a nightly basis. The fans deserve productivity from both coaches and coaches alike.

So let’s hear it Clipper nation…Can we get Dunleavy out of town and restore pride and dignity in our home red, white, and blue? In the words of President Barack Obama, “YES WE CAN!”

Clippers Bring Lightning to Thunder

kris jackson — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:30:15 -0500

Something extraordinary happened to the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night—they won! For only the second time this season, LA's "other team" finally earned a "W" in the win column with a 108-88 victory in Oklahoma City.

Trying to shake the bittersweet taste of Monday nights disappointing 86-83 loss at home to the Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the action against the Clippers Wednesday. After a mediocre start, the Clippers gained momentum in the second half, getting out on fast breaks while pounding points in the paint.

Aside from easy points around the basket, the Clips shot an impressive 47.4 field goal percentage while keeping their turnovers down to 10 while the Thunder doubled that number with 20 turnovers on the night.

The biggest lead of the night was 25, held by the Clippers, who simply showed more hustle as well as offensive and defensive pressure, which resulted in a total of 23 fast break points.

The big man in the middle, Chris Kaman, led all players in scoring, putting up 25 big ones. Kaman was an astounding 11-of-13 from the field Wednesday and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. Not only was Kaman’s shooting both surprising and accurate, his hands were like glue, pulling in 14 rebounds on the night to give him a double-double.

Cuttino Mobley was the second leading scorer for the Clips as his 23-point, 11-of-20 performance struck smooth and often like a lightning bolt at the Ford Center Wednesday night against the Thunder. Cat’s excellent defensive skills proved too much for the young Kevin Durant and his team of young up and comers, as Mobley’s seven steals contributed to many easy transition buckets.

Second-year man Al Thorton rounded out the top three scorers in the Clippers win, as Thorton pulled in 20 points (7-of-12 from the floor, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, a perfect 4-of-4 from the stripe) and seven rebounds.

If the Clippers can continue to pound the ball inside for easy possessions and work on their transition play, it’s possible that might truly do some damage in the Western Conference. First, they must establish a solid team chemistry and consistent commitment to defense and ball movement.

Since Baron Davis hasn’t produced like many thought he would in the early months of this season, it sure is good to see other players step up and shoulder the load; maybe that will make B-Diddy the leader LAC so desperately needs.

Bleacher Report - Articles by kris jackson

Clipper Fans Fed Up With Dunleavy

Clippers Bring Lightning to Thunder