I didn't say this in the Rockets forum, since it would've been lost in all the b****ing, but I actually don't blame Rockets for the Clippers loss. LA played a very good game, and it was followed today by an even better game against the Spurs. They have caught a hot streak. If Dre, Brand and Kandi can keep it up, they'll get their $$$ at the end. I still don't think Clips will make the playoffs, but there's no question they are starting to click.
The Clippers will make the playoffs. They are a very good ballclub that happens to have run into a brutal schedule (19/25 games so far against winning teams) and a _ton_ of injuries. Lamar Odom, arguably their best player, is returning at the end of the month. Word in Clipperland is that he is "dominating" scrimmages. With 10 of their next 14 games at home, many against easier teams, the Clippers will start to make their push right now and should be riding in the thick of the playoff race by mid-January. I really can't believe so many people have counted this team out just because of their bad start (which isn't looking that bad now at 11-14). They were just about a .500 team last year, and have essentially replaced McInnis and Miles with Miller and Odom, as well as added a stellar rookie in Marco Jaric. Just about the entire roster is under 25, so the players are also getting naturally better with more experience. Quentin Richardson will be a star in this league, I tell you (although probably not for the Clips). My main concern, as a Clipper fan, is not for this year-- I'm extremely confident they will do fine. It's the worry that in the offseason (this year or next) they will lose too many of their young stars and fall back into oblivion. If Sterling can keep the core of Miller, Brand, and Odom, they'll be fine. But it's hard to have faith in a guy who hasn't shown any loyalty to the fans.
Clippers will make a run but will implode at the stretch. There will be a semi firesale in which 3 players will leave. Nothing else will be new except for a trade if Sterling accepts...
You beat the rox and spurs, but you'll turnaround and lose 5 straight...cmon clippy, don't think you're a playoff team because of a couple of suprise games.
Come on, you guys, of all people, should know what injuries can do to a team. The Clippers have been playing without their best player all year (and almost all of last year). To add to that, right now they also have out: Brand (best rebounder, post player, team defender, all-around star) Maggette (best perimeter defender, slasher) Piatkowski (best shooter) and Andre Miller is hobbled and should have gone on the injured list a week ago but has been playing due to all of the other injuries. A team cannot be expected to compete with five of their best players injured. To put in another way, right now Kandi-ass might be the best player actually putting in PT for the Clips. That is sad, sad sad, I base my playoff prediction on what this team can do when it starts to get reasonably healthy. That should be right around Christmas / early January, when Odom, Maggette, Brand, and Piatkowski return and Miller will have had some time to rest up. You take a near .500 team, replace Jeff McInnis and Darius Miles, with Andre Miller and Lamar Odom, and I think you have a playoff team. A few games under .500 to being the season isn't going to change that.
Marco Jaric is EN FUEGO! Geez, 9 dimes in the loss. 18 and 22. Keep it up, they may let Miller walk. Odom can run the point, with Jaric and Q. Jaric, Q, Odom, Brand and Kandi with Wilcox and Ely and Dooling and Wang hitting now, Magettee coming back - they are SO loaded. Fire Alvin Gentry NOW and bring in a real coach and this is a darkhorse upset machine. We must must raid this talent collective.
If I am Sterling, I trade Miller for Jon Bender and Ron Mercer, right away. Miller is not a MAX player in my book, but he the thinks he is. Pacers need an upgrade from Tinseley at PG to be a top title contender, and they could easily part with some of their dept. Plus Walsh needs to move some contarcts in order to sign Jermaine and Brad Miller. So the bottomline for Pacers is: 1.get Andre to run the point, if he leads the team to the finals, max him out, if not give him the tender and wait another year. If he gets you to the Finals, MAX him, if not, let him go. If somebody signs him to an offer-sheet, then match. 2. With Bender and Mercer's contratcs out of the way, sign Brad Miller and Jeramine, (possibly Reggie). Here's what you got: PG: A. Miller, Tinseley SG: R. Miller, Harrington SF: Artest, Croshere PF: Jermaine, Jeff Foster C. B. Miller. Gosh, I would do it just for the kick of starting 3 Millers... The Clipps will have a pretty good Jaric/Dooling combo at PG. Bender could be the "next big thing" (he's only 21), and Mercer is a solid perimeter scorer that they need. Let Maggette (overrated) and Kandi (high risk for a MAX contract, I can smell a Cato-syndrom upon signing) walk. Max out Brand, extend Odom at $5mil per (he should be happy to get even that much), and Q at $3-4 mil, sign Zhi_Zhi at $2 mil, and you have a TRE-mendous group of players pretty much locked up: PG: Jaric, Dooling SG: Mercer, Q SF: Odom, Bender PF: Brand, Wilcox C: Ely, Zhi_Zhi
Assuming DTS wants to compete, he will have to sign the entire frontcourt.....as a unit there will be none better than Kandi/Brand/Odom. The PG problems is starting to look like it is solved, and not by "lead the L in assists"/"near all-star" but by the best PG in Europe. Jaric looks to be a couple steps above Miller in having a better stroke from outside and actually runs the offense much better. If Jaric can consistently hit wide open Js from 3pt line the race is over. Now a starting 2G.....somewhere in Maggette/Q/Dooling there is the future 2G for the LAC.....or trade Miller to Portland and bring DA back. Wang, Wilcox or Ely has to develop into a 4/5 reserve. My money is on Wang. Well, they had better hurry since DTS will screw it up come this summer.......but, wait! LAL SUCK! The city of LA is up for grabs, and if he gets it, the francise will be worth several $100 M more. Hey, Donald it may actually make sense to pay 30M+ or so for the best front court in the L.
