Can Vinny Del Negro Land Los Angeles Clippers a Postseason Berth?

There's a difference between taking a team to the playoffs and getting to the playoffs with a team. I believe Vinny Del Negro falls in the latter category.

The Clippers' roster as presently constructed is far too talented for them to keep falling short of the playoffs year after year (barring serious injuries to Blake Griffin and/or Eric Gordon).

If they remain healthy and still miss the playoffs the next two seasons, Del Negro won't be around long enough to take them there or get there with them.

The 2010-2011 Clips were one of just two teams in the NBA (Miami being the other) to boast two 22 points per game scorers in Griffin and Gordon.

Out of fairness, I should point out that Oklahoma City was pretty much there too with Russell Westbrook averaging 21.9 points per game. You could also include the Knicks if you want to count Melo as a Knick for the season.

That sublime inside-out tandem is flanked by a pair of former All-Stars in Chris Kaman and Mo Williams, with a nice blend of experienced vets and potential-laden youngsters rounding out the roster.

With a little NBA seasoning, a squad like that should be able to back their way into the postseason, even in the cutthroat Western Conference.

Del Negro was able to take a young team with a No. 1 overall pick (and future MVP) to consecutive playoffs in Chicago. I suspect he'll be able to do the same in LA with another No. 1 overall pick (with future MVP written all over him).

The real question is, can he coach the Clippers to their first ever NBA championship?

In a word, no.

I am always wary of head coaches named to the position despite having absolutely no prior coaching experience.

Del Negro fits that bill, having gone from the broadcast booth and the Suns front office straight to his first coaching gig as head coach of the Bulls prior to the 2008-2009 season.

Del Negro did not manage to win a round in either of his postseason trips with the Bulls and is yet to crack a .500 record during the regular season.

He was "fired" in the middle of his second season in the Windy City, only Chicago's front office proved even more inept than he was and kept him on the bench until the end of the season when they couldn't find a replacement quickly.

The botched termination attempt came a week after a humiliating home loss to the woeful Sacramento Kings in which the Bulls LED BY 35 POINTS IN THE SECOND HALF!

On top of that, Del Negro was reported to have had quite a frosty relationship with team executives in Chicago, capped by a physical altercation with Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson.

In defense of Del Negro, team leaders Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah voiced support for Del Negro after he was let go following the 2009-2010 season.

However, reports also surfaced that, "Whispers came from Bulls players who were less than impressed with Del Negro's leadership and coaching ability and did not speak out emphatically in his defense in the last days of the season." 

With his ability as a leader of men repeatedly called into question by his former organization, let's turn to his skill in the X's and O's department.

I don't claim to be an expert on grading the play calling acumen of NBA coaches, so I turn to my friend (and by friend I mean I enjoy and respect his work, I don't actually know the man) Sebastian Pruiti, who runs an awesome (and highly informative) website called NBAPlaybook.com.

Pruiti holds a season long contest called "The Clipboard Awards" in which he picks the top three plays run by teams coming out of a timeout on a given night in the NBA and awards points to each coach (one point for the third best play, two points for the runner-up and three points for the best play of the night).

At the end of the season, he compiled all the points and posted the final standings for all the coaches in the league.

Vinny Del Negro ranked 29th out of 31 coaches with a grand total of one point. One measly point.

For reference, the winner, the Celtics' Doc Rivers, scored 40 points, while on the other end of the spectrum, Kurt Rambis and Paul Westphal came up with squadoosh.

Those two coaches are a combined 166 games under .500 over the past two seasons. Keep in mind, Del Negro was just a single point above them.

To be fair, the Warriors' Keith Smart and the Pistons' John Kuester also produced a solitary point, the same as Del Negro. Neither one is currently employed as an NBA head coach.

While Vinny Del Negro may stumble his way into the playoffs with a roster as rich in talent as his (perhaps as early as this upcoming season), I'd suggest the Clippers find a new head man to take the reins if they want to take the next step and capture their first NBA crown.