Will new ownership produce a better product on the floor for the Clippers?

Earlier this month, Steve Ballmer officially became the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers which subsequently marked the dawning of a new era of Los Angeles Clippers basketball. While the arrival of Steve Ballmer and the departure of Donald Sterling is exciting for the Clippers, will this change actually produce a better product on the floor?

I don't mean to curb the enthusiasm of Clippers fans, but they need to understand why it is that they are excited before they go insane like Ballmer did at the most recent Clippers rally. If Clippers fans want to say they are excited purely on the grounds that they can finally cheer for their team in good conscience, then they have every reason to be excited. But if they are excited because they think a championship is just around the corner, they may be in for some disappointment. 

                                             

I don't deny that having Steve Ballmer as their new owner is a good thing for the Clippers organization. I think it's a great thing for the organization, but not because I think it will result in the Clippers winning more basketball games. If you look at the team that they have on the floor right now, it isn't clear how much better they can really get. 

They have a top flight coach in Doc Rivers, the best point guard in the NBA in Chris Paul, and one of the top five best power forwards in the game in Blake Griffin. Not only that, but they have quality players around those two guys with DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Hawes, J.J. Redick, and Jamal Crawford. 

The Clippers right now are as good as they ever have been, and ironically, the building of this strong team was under the stewardship of Donald Sterling and not Steve Ballmer. Of course, with all the losing that the Sterling era went through, it stands to reason that Clippers fans can expect to see a more consistently competitive product on the floor, but that doesn't mean the product will be any better than what it presently is. 

If you look at this Clippers team, there really is not way to improve the team other than having Blake Griffin and Chris Paul get better as a duo. Ultimately, that will come down to those two players working on their game and perhaps some of the instruction they get from Doc Rivers. Steve Ballmer has zero control over how much better Chris Paul and Blake Griffin get and he also can't do much to better the roster since I really think the roster they have is as good as it can possibly be. 

At the end of the day, I don't see Steve Ballmer producing a better product on the floor for the Clippers. They may get better and eventually win a championship, but it won't be because Steve Ballmer arrived. His arrival energizes the fan base and gives people in Los Angeles better reason to cheer for the Clippers, which in and of itself makes his arrival a great thing for the Clippers. However,  I think it is important we clarify that and not make the mistake of thinking that the Clippers are suddenly going to win a championship because they got new ownership. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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The Donald Sterling Aftermath

The late great Michael Jackson once said "It Doesn't Matter If You're Black Or White" and he's right about that but in the year 2014 some people fail to realize that the color do our skin is just a small sample of us, it's the first thing you see and it shouldn't be the last if you get to know the person. Late Friday night TMZ obtained a contentious tape between Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and his model girlfriend V. Stiviano and as expected the tape was passed around twitter like a note in elementary school and everyone had their own perspective of it.

Sterling, 81, has a history of making racial remarks; in 2006 the U.S. Department of Justice sued Sterling for housing discrimination because he didn't want Koreans, Latinos/Latinas and Blacks in his complexes. He allegedly said Spanish people just "smoke, drink and just hang around the building" and for African-Americans he had said "black tenants smell and attract vermin"... The case was eventually settled for $2.275 million.

Back in 2009 he was sued by then Clippers executive Elgin Baylor for employment discrimination due to the color of his skin and age. Sterling allegedly told Baylor that he wanted the Clippers roster and coaching staff to be assembled with "poor black boys from the south with a white head coach." Now the NFL and NBA have the perfect ensemble of black and white and yes, most teams are predominately black and the staff being Caucasian but that comment in general in that context he used it in is perfectly attributed to hate.

Sterling's mouth has gotten him to do more wrongs than rights but for some odd reason he was awarded the with the NAACP lifetime achievement award in 2009 and after he recent outburst, he was scheduled to receive the award again next month but as expected they have decided to to no longer give him the award.

"NAACP statement: "As the investigation is in progress, we urge the LA Branch of the NAACP to withdraw Donald Sterling from the honoree list."

But back to his remarks, in the video obtained by TMZ he was upset with his very young girlfriend about taking a picture with Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and her boasting about the image on Instagram and he became infuriated with her showing off a black man. Among the comments he said:   

"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?"

"You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want.  The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games."

"I’m just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people."

"...Don't put him [Magic] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me.  And don't bring him to my games."

Find it funny that he doesn't Magic at his game despite both being allegedly friends... Magic would later go on a tirade on twitter:

My problem with Sterling's comments is that he made them and he no remorse for what he was saying. Now I have no problem with him hating people who aren't white because that's his choice and we shouldn't attempt to change his views on multiple communities. But the big issue here is that he made those remarks and owns a team which is made up of his best players being black, one of them mullato and his head coach being black. Sterling has a reputation of being a frugal businessman as he has historically shown skepticism of bringing top tier players to put out a respectable product on the court. It took over 30 years for him to actually get the Clippers out of the shadow of the Lakers and from being the joke of the league to being the headliners.

But despite the ignorant people of the world and people on social media who try to make jokes to get "likes" and "retweets" there are people who took a stand on twitter as it's commonly used for fun and is a place to relax and communicate with other people with he same views as you. But if there is a major topic in the world that becomes bothersome then black, white and spanish twitter unite to showcase their concerns it wasn't better showcased than all-day Saturday.

Magic Johnson, Kevin Hart and other high profile people in the world had much to say about the situation and just like the Trayvon Martin situation back in 2013, many people changed their twitter "avi" to a black picture which was started by center DeAndre Jordan on Instagram. 

Many other public figures shared their thoughts on the Sterling situation from some wanting him to sell the team to him being a disgrace.

"Donald Sterling has mentality of an antebellum slave master," Chris Broussard of ESPN said.

"No one should be allowed to own a team if they have in fact engaged in this kind of racial language," Reverend Al Sharpton said. 

"Donald sterling is the definition of racism," Rapper Meek Mill said.

"time for #Clippers players to step up. Refuse to play till NBA moves against this racist jackass #Sterling. NBA can't defend him," Keith Olbermann of ESPN said via twitter.

The crew of "Inside the NBA" have a reputation of being comical most of the time but with a huge problem with the magnitude of Sterling's hate comments they took time at halftime of the Pacers-Hawks game to address the issue and gave their input.

"Racism is a refuge to ignorance," Kenny Smith said. "Sterling has shown his primitive uneducated thoughts. It a shame the only thing you are rich in is money." 

"If it's true...there's no space in the NBA for Donald Sterling," Ernie Johnson said.

"this is the first big test for Adam Silver," Charles Barkley said. "You can’t have this guy making statements like that. He has to suspend him and fine him immediately…. We can not have an NBA owner discriminating against a league that’s…we’re a black league."

Comedian Kevin Hart chimed in also on his twitter account with a vast amount of tweets with one of them saying, "The owner of the Clippers is a flat out racist and will never see a dime of my money!!! Donald Sterling is disgusting...this sh*t is sad."

NBA players from past and present also wanted their voices heard about the discriminatory remarks by Sterling.

"As a VP for the Hawks it is appalling to wake up to this story," Dominique Wilkins said. "It is in no way anything that I know MY NBA at ANY level to promote, condone or harbor behind closed doors or openly. As a black man living in the South, this is not something that is a surprise. Racism is prevalent, still a problem and something that can not be taken lightly in any context. As a former Clipper, I feel for the community of LA. It is a melting pot of culture and ALL races. For Clipper fans, staff and players, I do hope this is dealt with swiftly and justly. It is just totally disappointing."

"He has a history of being a bigot and racist," Indiana Pacers forward David West said.

"I can only imagine if a player came out and said something of that stature. What would happen to us?," LeBron James said. "I believe in Adam (Silver). I believe in the NBA, and they have to do something and do something very fast."

"There is no room for Donald Sterling in our league," James said. "There's just no room for him."

"I couldn't play for him," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said via twitter. (Bryant almost signed with the Clippers in '04)

Charles Barkley wants the NBA to suspend Sterling, which they could do making him the first owner to be suspended since Glen Taylor of the Minnesota Timberwolves as he was the last owner to be debarred due to salary cap violations which less his team to forfeiting draft picks and losing $3.5 million.

A suspension towards Sterling could happen but him being kicked out of the NBA won't happen unless it's on his own power:

NBA owners Michael Jordan (Charlotte Bobcats) and Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks) gave their input on the debacle. 

"I look at this from two perspectives – as a current owner and a former player," Jordan said." As an owner, I’m obviously disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views. I’m confident that Adam Silver will make a full investigation and take appropriate action quickly. As a former player, I’m completely outraged. There is no room in the NBA - or anywhere else - for the kind of racism and hatred that Mr. Sterling allegedly expressed. I am appalled that this type of ignorance still exists within our country and at the highest levels of our sport. In a league where the majority of players are African-American, we cannot and must not tolerate discrimination at any level."

"The obvious is obvious," Mark Cuban said.

What makes this situation more intriguing is that the Clippers have Chris Paul who is the Nation Basketball Players Association (NBPA) President and Doc Rivers who is on the competition committee. Both men gave their input on the situation. Also it's worth nothing that the Clippers did indeed plan on protesting but Rivers was against it and believed it would be better for fans to boycott rather than the talent.

"On behalf of the National Basketball Players Association," Paul said. "This is a very serious issue which we will address aggressively. We have asked Mayor Kevin Johnson to expand his responsibilities with the NBPA, to determine our response and our next steps. As players, we owe it to our teams and our fans to keep our focus on our game, the playoffs, and the drive to the Finals."

"Were not happy with any of it," Rivers said. "Were going to let the due process happen."

The man who helped keep the Sacramento Kings in Sac-Town and the major of that town, Kevin Johnson released a statement on the matter.

"The reported comments made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling are reprehensible and unacceptable," Johnson said. "The National Basketball Players Association must and will play a very active role in determining how this issue is addressed. There needs to be an immediate investigation and if the reports are true, there needs to be strong and swift action taken. I have spoken with NBPA President Chris Paul and will be leading the NBPA in addressing the implications of this serious matter. I will be formally reaching out to the NBA today to determine our next steps. While I originally came on to lead the Executive Director search, this issue requires immediate attention from the players association. I will be keeping Chris Paul, the Executive Committee, and all player representatives informed of every step."

The president on the United States, Barack Obama released his opinion and on Sterling from Malaysia — as he is a avid NBA fan but Sterling's comments he found very disrespectful like anybody else would.

"When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk. That's what happened here," Obama said. "The United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race and slavery and segregation. That's still there, the vestiges of discrimination. We've made enormous strides, but you're going to continue to see this percolate up every so often."

There are people sadly who took Sterling's remarks and it into a somewhat joke:

Andy Roeser the president of the Los Angeles Clippers released a statement saying: 

Assuming that the recording is authentic and it is Donald Sterling saying those comments, it will be interesting to see how the league deals with it because his history plays a impact on it and there is no way for Sterling to escape as his reputation nationally has been hindered mightily and can't show his face at a NBA arena again or at least for a long time. Wonder how long it'll take? Wonder what disciplinary actions the league takes? Also, Are there other owners or people associated in the NBA who feel this way?

Wonder what he was thinking when he took this picture with former Clipper, Elton Brand:

-- Clevis Murray 

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5 Players With Most to Prove: Western Conference

The NBA Playoffs are finally upon us, and there are some teams and players with something to prove. Younger players making their much anticipated first appearances in the postseason and even some veterans that still have something to prove in their stored careers. There are plenty of viable picks that could be made, but here are my top five players and teams that have something to prove in the postseason in the Western Conference.

Stephen Curry, Point Guard, Golden State Warriors: Curry has quickly become one of the top point guards in the NBA, combining a lethal jump shot with high basketball IQ to turn him into a trusted floor leader. With this come heightened expectations.

Jeff Chiu/AP Photo

Curry is the leader of one of the more up-and-down teams this season in the Warriors. Injuries plagued them throughout the year, as starting big men David Lee and Andrew Bogut both missed time throughout the season. That complicated things for the Warriors, who are thin up front when Lee and Bogut are healthy. Lee is going to be available for the playoffs, but Bogut will already miss some time with an injured rib.

The onus will then fall upon Curry to carry this team in the postseason. Being the face of the franchise, the loss will be placed on his shoulders more than any other player. A loss in the first round could also equal the end of Mark Jackson’s tenure as head coach of the team.

It will take a strong effort from Curry to keep that from happening. He will have to bring his A game against a Los Angeles Clippers team that has plenty to prove themselves.

Dirk Nowitzki, Power Forward, Dallas Mavericks: How could a player who already has an NBA championship and MVP trophy be under pressure to perform in the postseason you ask?

Jonathan Bachman/AP Photo 

Nowitzki, along with the Mavericks, had been written off by plenty of people. After blowing up their championship team and hoping to build through free agency by adding Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, they came up with nothing in the first year and missed the playoffs in 2013. This season they were able to spend a little of that money, and out of it came quite possibly the most dangerous eight seed in NBA history.

The additions of Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon have helped jump start the team, but everything with the Mavericks starts and ends with Nowitzki. They will go as far as he will take them.

Chris Paul, Point Guard, Los Angeles Clippers: Paul is regarded by almost everyone as a top tier point guard and superstar in this league. But if you say the same thing about Carmelo Anthony, you are met with scrutiny. In all reality, the two aren’t very different. The biggest knock against Anthony is his playoff success, or lack thereof. Paul, for whatever reason, has been able to hide his lack of playoff success, but it is about time he puts it together.

Clippers.com

Paul will be making his sixth appearance in the playoffs, and has only previously advanced the first round twice, losing both times in the second round. Anthony has made it past the first time just as many times, and has a Western Conference finals appearance under his belt, so why Paul isn’t subject to the same criticism raises some questions.

Paul has a chance to quell all of those problems this season. The Clippers are set up well in the Western Conference, getting quite possibly the easiest first round match up against of anyone against a depleted Warriors team. It also helps that this is quite possibly the best team Paul has been with, from a teammates and coaching staff stand point.

If he is going to make it happen, this is the season as Blake Griffin is blossoming and Doc Rivers has gotten the most out of DeAndre Jordan in the process.

Dwight Howard, Center, Houston Rockets: Howard has caused quite a stir the past two offseasons, first forcing his way out of Orlando to the Los Angeles Lakers and then leaving the Lakers this past offseason to join the Rockets. He has gotten everything he has wanted, so it is time for him to show up.

www.sportsinsights.com

Howard is arguably the best center in the NBA, but it is mostly by default. There just isn’t much center talent in par with Howard right now, but his reign could soon be coming to an end. There are some younger big men, such as DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Drummond that will soon be knocking on Howard’s door as the top big men in the NBA. But unlike those two, Howard has a chance to showcase his talent and cement himself as the top center in the NBA.

He handpicked where he wanted to play once again so it is time for him to reciprocate and show up. Howard was dealing with an ankle injury heading into the playoffs, but if he was as good as some people hype him up to be he will show up when it counts the most. Howard will be under the microscope, as the Rockets didn’t miss much of a beat when he was dealing with his ankle injury, as James Harden more easily roams free when there isn’t a center clogging the middle.

If the Howard from 2008-2009 NBA Playoffs shows up, the Rockets will be as difficult as any team to eliminate from the playoffs.

Kevin Durant, Small Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder: When Russell Westbrook went down with injury this season, Durant stepped his game up to unheard of levels. He scored without abandon, ripping off 12 straight games of 30+ scoring and 25+ points in 42 straight.

Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo

His scoring was through the roof, but he also became a good facilitator, averaging 5.5 assists per game. With stats like that, it is very likely that Durant will be the MVP this season. In potentially being named MVP, Durant has added a ton of expectations upon himself. For example, leading his team past the second round no matter who is around him. This season he proved that he could lead a team without his sidekick in Westbrook, so with him in the lineup the Thunder should be unstoppable.

The path to a title is brutal for the Thunder though, as the Memphis Grizzlies are made for the post season with their grind it out, beat’em up style of play. It would not get much easier, as the Western Conference is loaded from top to bottom.

Durant now is on another level of stardom, as he is argued by many as being a better player than LeBron James right now, who he will theoretically taking the MVP trophy away from. The expectations were high for Durant already, but would be sky high with an MVP award. Anything short of an NBA Final appearance will be considered a failure by many.

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W2W4: Los Angeles Clippers vs. New York Knicks; January 17th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 17^th, 2014

Los Angeles Clippers vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks will look to get back on track after two lackluster performances against the Charlotte Bobcats and Indiana Pacers. Tonight will be the kickoff to a franchise matching long home stand of eight games. This will be a make-or-break stretch of the season for the Knicks; they can use the home court advantage to get back into the playoff race or if they drop the ball like the last two games can virtually kiss the playoffs goodbye. They will face only two teams currently over .500 over the home stand; the Clippers tonight and the Miami Heat to close it out. Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks suffered a lot more than a loss last night against the Pacers. They lost Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin to left ankle sprains. Stoudemire is hoping to be back within the next week but Martin’s timetable is unknown currently. It is the same ankle that gave Martin problems during the preseason and early parts of the regular season. This does not bode well for the Knicks as Tyson Chandler is still working his way back from an upper respiratory infection. Expect Jeremy Tyler to see his first extended minutes of his Knicks career tonight as the Knicks are severely shorthanded against an explosive Clippers front line of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Tim Hardaway Jr. re-injured his surgically repaired left wrist and will be questionable at best tonight. If he is unable to go the J.R. Smith benching will definitely come to an end as he will be relied upon to replace all of Hardaway Jr.’s minutes. Pablo Prigioni will be out again tonight and is targeting Monday for his return to the line.

For the Clippers they will be without Chris Paul tonight and for a couple of more weeks.

-Guard the Perimeter

Debbie Wong/USA Today Sports

The Clippers struggled in the first game without Paul, losing to the San Antonio Spurs 116-92. But in the four games following that they have been on a tear, scoring 101, 111, 123 and 129 points. A big reason for the strong play in Paul’s absence is the return of J.J. Redick and play of backup point guard Darren Collison.

Redick has been scorching in his return to the lineup, scoring 19 and a career high 33 in his two games since returning. Collison has been a monster taking over for Paul, averaging 16.6 points on 61.5 percent shooting from the field, 50 from the three point line and 85.7 from the foul line, adding 7.2 assists as well. The Clippers have relied heavily on the three pointer without Paul and have been connecting at a good percent; in their last four games the Clippers are a combined 46-118, good for 38.9 percent. On the season they have shot 33.9 percent from the three point line.

The Knicks will have to make sure the Clippers do not get going from deep or it will be a long night. In addition to Redick and Collison the Clippers have more than capable three point shooters in Matt Barnes, Jared Dudley and former Knick Jamal Crawford.

-Match-Up Of the Game: J.R. Smith vs. Jamal Crawford

Carmelo Anthony and Griffin will get all the attention and spotlight will be on them throughout the night. The real show will be between the two bench players and former Sixth Man of the Year award winners in Smith and Crawford.

The two of them will be matched up throughout the game and have been connected the past few years because of how good of sixth men they are. Smith took the crown from Crawford last year, but this year the two could not be performing any differently. Smith’s play has cratered after off-season knee surgery and has become as disobedient and defiant as ever. Crawford has continued his great play off the bench but also stepped into the starting lineup when Redick was hurt and played well too.

Much like Smith with the Knicks, Crawford is the main scoring option off the bench; he just has done it more consistently this season. Smith has played better recently in-between his benching though and for the Knicks to get back on track Smith playing well will help. The match-up between Smith and Crawford will be a fun one to watch tonight as Crawford has said he always loved playing at Madison Square Garden as a Knick and as an opponent.

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Thy Brothers Keeper: Chris Paul

Slowly…….the integrity of the foundation was rocked and a battle was waged by a divided front.  The lines were drawn in the sand and the loss was inevitable and the strategy of divide and conquer was in full effort despite efforts to have it avoided.  The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) had crumbled under the pressure of the Labor Dispute of 2011 and infighting born from distrust.  Union Director Billy Hunter and Union President Derek Fisher were in the midst of their own personal war but the timing couldn’t have been more wrong.  As the owners led by NBA Commissioner David Stern were shredding the details of the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, Derek Fisher was waging a personal campaign to take down the man who had successfully protected the players of the NBA since 1996.  Despite the fact that Hunter wasn’t perfect and Fisher had legit beef, the timing again was oh so wrong and the owners smelled blood which resulted in the players relenting on a deal that was considering one of the worst in modern history of NBA Labor Agreements.  The conflict left the owners richer, the players poorer, Hunter ousted, and Fisher continuing his battle with Hunter via the justice system.  It was as if a nuclear winter had engulfed the NBPA…….but there is hope.

Christopher Emmanuel Paul, considered by many as the greatest floor general in the NBA today, was  elected (August) to replace Derek Fisher as the President of the NBPA.  The election of Paul was truly a shocker as veteran Roger Mason Jr. was considered unchallenged for the prestigious position.  Mason Jr. would have represented the old guard, another journey who’s biggest claim to fame was the Presidency, another role player who wouldn’t strike fear in the hearts of the owners as the voice of the players akin to Michael Curry and Derek Fisher.  LeBron James flirted with the idea of running as Union President, Kobe Bryant would have been the owners worst nightmare in the role but it is Chris Paul who was born for this honor.  Chris Paul has always been “that guy”, the guy whose voice stands taller than his stature, the guy who was chosen by his peers to lead them off the court as well as on the court through the nuclear winter unleashed by the battle between Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter.

Only a few days into his presidency, Paul had reportedly lined up issues that he’d like to see changed, most notably HGH testing in the NBA, maintaining the current state of the NBA’s dress code and the elimination of flopping fines.  Those hot button issues and the potential of the their outcomes to swing in the favor of the NBA players would already set Paul a part from Derek Fisher who did virtually nothing in the role to advance the cause of the Union in the eyes of the owners.  Fisher driving force as Union President was personal gain, Paul’s is to serve and protect based on a foundation that was instilled in being as a child from his parents and grandfather “Papa Chilly”.  Paul would grow up spending summers working at his grandfathers Chevron service station rotating tires, changing air filters, and operating the register and even while in school, Paul demonstrated great leadership ability by being voted student class president during his high school years multiple times.

Chris Paul is without question the embodiment of what the NBPA needs as a leader, a franchise player  who’s prepared to go to battle and look out for his brethren.  With no secret agendas, Paul will set forth the motion of a united front, one that the NBPA hasn’t seen since the NBA lockout of 1998/99.  Is he thy bothers keeper?

“I think I have a lot of experience, being around and knowing what’s going on,” Paul said in the presser following his ascension to President. “Moving forward is not about me or any one person. It’s about the players as a whole. It’s going to take a lot of work, but we have a great executive committee, a great group of guys who are ready to move forward.”

The notice........has been served. 

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2012 NBA Playoffs: Western Conference 2nd Round

   I must say that the Clippers impressed me by moving past the Grizzlies in the 1st round because I didn't see that happening with that being said, the road to the NBA Finals has gotten much more difficult for the "new kids" on the block as they now face the rested Spurs.  Spurs guard Tony Parker had an incredible year and Chris Paul has always been spectacular and this will be a great match up of point guard play.  Can the Clippers match the Spurs height?  Based on them matching the Grizzlies, I will say yes.  Tim Duncan is still efficient but he can't be great on a nightly basis, one just never knows game in and game out what Duncan will deliver and that's why the play of Tony Parker is so important, he is the Spurs engine.

The Clippers will have an abundance of wings who can check Mano Ginobili and also Danny Green....more pressure on Parker.  The Spurs have been one of the hottest teams in the league but the Clippers believe it or not have more weapons and I'm not even speaking of Blake Griffen.  This season the Spurs adopted an offensive game and relied less on their defense but this series they must turn back the clock on their defense
because trying to run with the Clippers may be fatal.  With head coach Greg Popovich on their side will give the Spurs a great advantage but the youth and athleticism of the Clippers will prove to be too much and the Los Angeles Clippers will move on to the Western Conference Finals.

They have waited two years for this opportunity after they walked off their court in 2010, one rebound away from forcing a game 7 in Los Angeles and perhaps defeating the defending NBA champion Lakers.  It was that 1st round matchup when the league took notice of the monster growing in OKC.  The Thunder had arrived and since that moment Lakers fans have been worried that this day may come and well, the time is now.  It was bound to happen.  

The Thunder have rested since an easy dispatching of the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks while the Lakers fought off a pesky Nuggets team in 7 games.  Game 1 will set the tone in this series due to the fact that the Lakers lasted played Saturday evening while the Thunder hasn't played in almost two weeks so the question is who will be sharper?  Kobe Bryant has played great and so has Bynum and Gasol......on some nights.  Kevin Durant has been his normal spectacular self while Russell Westbrook has continued to ascend to be known as one of the best point guards in the NBA.  

The Lakers are big, too big for many teams, but their bigs just don't show up enough, maybe one each per game but rarely both in the same game.  Kobe can will the Lakers a game or two just off of sheer will but can his supporting cast step up?  The injury of Kendrick Perkins will affect the series but remember, when these two teams faced off before, the Thunder didn't have Perkins and the Lakers were the better team and the struggled.  The Thunder will achieve the revenge that they seek and will move on.  

     

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"Basketball Reasons" An NBA Nightmare

         I slept on it in hopes that I would wake up and feel differently; sadly I feel the same amount of disgust that I felt last night upon hearing the news that David Stern, commissioner of the NBA nixed the trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers.  Chris Paul was preparing to fly to Los Angeles last evening and had already made arraignments for Kobe Bryant to pick him up upon his arrival when he heard the news that the league had stepped in a canceled the trade citing "basketball reasons".

During the David Stern era of the NBA, there's been many conspiracy theories regarding player movement and championship victories, but non of them have ever been confirmed despite having mountains of evidence in some cases.  What we saw last night was akin to a young child walking in on his or her parents placing presents under a Christmas tree and then realizing that there is no Santa Clause........shocking!  On paper, the league was correct in the fact that it could veto a trade based on the Hornets being league owned but legally there had to be another reason outside of "basketball reasons." 

What happened last night was a sickening display of an abuse of power, it was a hastily made decision to nix this deal that would have allowed the Hornets to acquire Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin and Luis Scola to have a shot a salvaging their future but if this move by the league causes Chris Paul to stay in New Orleans for the duration of the season, what would stop Chris Paul from just walking away and leaving the Hornets with nothing in return?  Think about that for a second, the "competitive balance" theory that the NBA shoved down our throats as the reason they locked out the players goes out of the door if they just let Paul walk away.  Any informed NBA fan understands that this isn't about "basketball reasons".  This action by David Stern
wasn't though tout and it appears as if he's lost all control.  His hast decision could have allowed the shit to hit the fan and the timing of his decision is curious as well.

Dan Gilbert

Teams were allowed to begin negotiating with free agents on December 5th and since that time the Hornets had been working on a trade for Chris Paul, it was public knowledge but the final rendition of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement was fortified until an hour after the announcement of the Paul trade.  Stern could have nixed any trade from the Hornets during the past five days but he knew that if he did, the players would have backed out of the deal.....again very curious timing.  Paul is considering legal action against the NBA and spoke with the Players Association last night about all of the possibilities.  Paul could collusion against the NBA and its owners and shockingly enough, Dan Gilbert could have indirectly supplied him with the necessary ammunition.  In an email obtained by Yahoo sports, Dan Gilbert was adamant that the trade shouldn't be allowed.

Commissioner,

It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed.

This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.

Over the next three seasons this deal would save the Lakers approximately $20 million in salaries and approximately $21 million in luxury taxes. That $21 million goes to non-taxpaying teams and to fund revenue sharing.

I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn’t appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. (They would also get a large trade exception that would help them improve their team and/or eventually trade for Howard.) When the Lakers got Pau Gasol (at the time considered an extremely lopsided trade) they took on tens of millions in additional salary and luxury tax and they gave up a number of prospects (one in Marc Gasol who may become a max-salary player).

I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen.

I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.

When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?

Please advise….

Dan G.

According to Yahoo Sports, a rival executive with ties to the league office voiced his opinion on the mess that was last night in the NBA.

“We were all told by the league he was a trade-able player, and now they’re saying that Dell doesn’t have the authority to make the trade?” said an NBA executive who had periodic talks with New Orleans throughout the process. “Now they’re saying that Dell is an idiot, that he can’t do his job. [Expletive] this whole thing. David’s drunk on power, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the players, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the hundreds of hours the teams put in to make that deal.

“How do the Lakers explain this to Odom? How does Houston deal with the guys it just tried to trade? Scola and Martin are going to be pissed at them, and who knows how long that takes to get over? Explain to me how the league kills this Pau Gasol deal, but allows Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol?

“To me, this makes the league feel like it’s rigged, that Stern just does whatever Stern wants to do. He’s messed up the competitive balance of this league a lot worse by killing the deal because you’ve completely destroyed the planning that New Orleans and Houston did and left them in shambles over this. I’ve never been so discouraged about this league, never so down.

“I mean, come on: Chris Paul is leaving New Orleans in 66 games. He’s gone. And what’s Dell Demps, and that franchise, going to have to show for it?”

Just as expected, David Stern released a statement addressing the Chris Paul trade debacle:

“Since the NBA purchased the New Orleans Hornets, final responsibility for significant management decisions lies with the Commissioner’s Office in consultation with team chairman Jac Sperling. All decisions are made on the basis of what is in the best interests of the Hornets. In the case of the trade proposal that was made to the Hornets for Chris Paul, we decided, free from the influence of other NBA owners, that the team was better served with Chris in a Hornets uniform than by the outcome of the terms of that trade.”

For those wondering, the Washington Generals are an exhibition basketball team who's known for the losing streak to the Harlem Globetrotters.  Nevertheless, Chris Paul has a case against the NBA based on the email above and just as last night in my post Were you all had I ask this question; If Chris Paul had been traded to a small market team, would the NBA have still nixed the trade?  I understand what this new breed of owners want, I've seen both sides of the situation but the reality is that the NBA will never be able to control player movement.  Please that this into account, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh all took pay cuts of around $20 million to play together and battle for a championship.  The Hornets could pay Chris Paul $40 million more than any other team over the duration of a new contract if he wanted to stay in New Orleans for the long haul.  When players are leaving those amounts of money on the table to have a legit shot to battle for NBA championships they can't be controlled by the league nor can they be called greedy....just let it sink in for a moment while I leave you with wise words from Phil Jackson when the league acquired the Hornets last year.

"Who's going to trade who to whom? Who's going to pull the button on trading player or when Chris [Paul] says he has to be traded? How's that going to go? I don't know. Somebody's going to have to make a very nonjudgmental decision on that part that's not going to irritate anybody else in this league ... I don't know how they're going to do that.  That's what everybody is going to be afraid of: Who is going to be helping who out?"

Hindsight is indeed 20/20.    

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Were you all had? The NBA Lockout of 2011

If I told you that you could be reincarnated and earn $50 million but and all you had to do was kill yourself today, would you do it?  What if you told me that you couldn't swim but I told you that if you tried to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, you wouldn't drown, would you believe me?  I'm having a hard time figuring out why so many "fans" are disappointed by today's news that the Lakers have made an agreement with the Hornets to acquire All-Star guard Chris Paul.  The Miami Heat upgraded their bench by adding Shane Battier and a reborn Eddy Curry and the Knicks are close to acquiring NBA Champion center Tyson Chandler.  These are examples of big market teams making a splash 24 hours before training camp is to begin.  Surprised?

If you were surprised by the agreements today and/or disappointed by the fact that the big market teams are still able to sign whomever they would like then you were a victim of the owners lies plain and simple.  The NBA Lockout of 2011 was promoted by the owners as a chance
for there to be competitive balance across the league, the Pacers would be able to compete with the Knicks for talent as an example.  It was all fabricated to cover up the truth, the real reason the owners locked out the players, the owners wanted more money and in the end they received a giveback from the players of over 1 billion dollars.  You've been had!  You've been took!  Hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led Astray!  Run amok!  Simply put you were lied to.

The big market teams will continue to grow stronger as long as the NBA is in existence because the NBA needs the Lakers, Knicks, Celtics, and Heat more than the Spurs, Pacers, Hawks or Bucks.  It's the reason only 9 different franchises have won the NBA championship since 1979.  The facts were all over the Internet throughout the summer, The Closer, Jason Whitlock, and myself tried to educated as many "fans" as we could about the real reason the owners had locked the players out, but we could only do so much as Commissioner Stern could jump on his mouth piece known as ESPN and spins "fans" at his leisure.  If the Lakers acquire Paul it will no doubt signal the final days for Dwight Howard in Orlando as he desires to be paired with an All-Star caliber point guard not named Jameer Nelson, but would the owners really allow their reputations to be tarnished in the eyes of the fans if the big market teams continue to grow stronger?

As I began this post 15 minutes ago, Adrian Wojnarwski of Yahoo sports reported via twitter that the owners were irate in a Board of Governors meeting with Stern that the Hornets who are currently league owned would be allowed to trade Chris Paul away and now the news has just broke that the NBA has killed the trade agreement between the Lakers and Hornets.....can someone tell us why?  It seems as if the owners grew wise to the fact that this proposed trade if culminated would have exposed them as liars and David Stern has now not allowed the trade to take place.

All of this is breaking as I typed and I just finished a phone call with The Closer and I must say that I am in a state of shock that this has happened.  What else do the owners want from the players at this point in time?  This is an absolute abuse of power and these words that are being typed are coming from a place of raw emotion, reports are that Chris Paul is devastated by the recent developments of tonight and this is perhaps the worst thing that I've ever witnessed in my almost 20 years of following the NBA.  Reports are also stating that due to a conflict of interest is why the Hornets were order to rescind the trade, but keep in mind that a conflict of interest works both ways because it is a conflict of interest to block the trade as well.  I leave you with one question, if the Hornets were going to trade Chris Paul to the Pacers, Timberwolves or Hawks, do you think the league would have imposed its will the way it did this evening?

Chris Broussard of ESPN has just reported that Chris Paul will explore legal action against the league with NBPA Director Billy Hunter to fight the blocked trade.

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