Category: Los Angeles Clippers Blog

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Cassell, Clippers have buy-out

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived point guard Sam Cassell. The official report is here.

It’s too bad that Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston got injured. I’d have liked to see the Clippers this season with those guys alongside the improved Chris Kaman (yes, Brand being hurt did put more responsibility on Kaman’s shoulders, but he also did really get better). They looked like a decent team, but fell off for a bit, and now Cassell is gone. Of course, he’s not the future – Shaun Livingston, if he can recover from serious injury, and meet his potential, is.

If Cassell does wind up signing with the Boston Celtics, I think it’ll work out in a big way. What better backup point guard than a guy like him? He’s a smart player, and a scoring point guard, but he does it in a manner that helps a team. As opposed to scoring point guards that take bad shots and don’t fit into a total team offense.

I assume that on Boston, Rajon Rondo would continue to start and play the bulk of minutes, but Cassell would get plenty of time off the bench. And Cassell will help Rondo improve in practice.

Clippers sign Nick Fazekas to 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent forward Nick Fazekas to a 10-day contract. Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (34th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Fazekas appeared in four games with Dallas this season, averaging 1.0 point and 0.8 rebounds.

A three-time Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Player of the Year at the University of Nevada, Fazekas played 28 games with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League this season and was selected to the D-League All-Star Game, but did not play in the game. Fazekas averaged 19.1 points per game. 10.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 53 percent from the floor.

Fazekas was a star in college for the Wolfpack, averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds as a senior while ranking fifth in the nation in rebounding. During his senior year the Arvada, Colorado product was a consensus Second Team All-American and member of the Wooden Award All-American Team. Fazekas finished his collegiate career as the all-time leading scorer and shot blocker in Nevada history and is one of only six players in NCAA history to score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds, and shoot 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line.

Brandon Roy out Tue and Wed

Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy did not accompany the team to Los Angeles, and will sit out Tuesday’s game at the L.A. Lakers and Wednesday’s game at the L.A. Clippers with a right ankle sprain.

The injury, which originally occurred Feb. 13 at Dallas, was aggravated during Sunday’s game vs. Boston. Roy left the Celtics game in the third quarter and did not return.

He is listed as day-to-day for Friday’s home game vs. the Lakers.

Rumor: Suns want Quinton Ross

The East Valley Tribune (Jerry Brown) reports: With only second-round picks (or perhaps cash, or both) the Suns are trying to pry 6-foot-6 guard Quinton Ross away from the Los Angeles Clippers. Ross makes only $824,000 this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season. He is a strong defender and rebounder who started against Phoenix in the Western Conference Quarterfinals two years ago. His offensive capability is limited, but the Suns won’t be asking him to score.

Sam Cassell suspended 1 game

Los Angeles Clippers guard Sam Cassell has been suspended one game without pay for committing a Flagrant Foul Penalty Two by swinging and making contact with the head of Boston’s Rajon Rondo, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 2:54 remaining in the second quarter of the Clippers 111-100 loss to the Celtics on Wednesday night at TD Banknorth Garden. Cassell will serve his suspension tonight when the Clippers visit the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.

Sam Cassell talks Knicks

NY Newsday (Ken Berger) reports Sam Cassell discussing the Knicks: “New York fans are far from fair-weather fans, but if you don’t play hard for them …” Cassell said at his locker after the Clippers wasted the listless Knicks, 103-94. Cassell didn’t finish the sentence. Didn’t have to.
“They want effort,” he said. “They want guys diving on the floor for loose balls like the early ‘90s. They want guys getting at it, making it a tough basketball game. That’s what New York is all about – battling, like the Giants in the playoffs. But when they don’t see that, they tend to get discouraged. Tickets are very expensive in New York. If you’re paying $1,000 a seat, you want to see effort every night.” “They’ve got Isiah over there, their best three guys played, it pays well,” Cassell said. “Damn, what more you want? You’re playing in New York City. Damn, I wish was like eight years younger and had the opportunity to come to New York to play. Shoot, every night to play in the Garden? Damn, there’s no place like it.”

Al Thornton flashes of stardom

NBA.com reports: If pressed to summarize Al Thornton’s rookie season the word to use would probably be inconsistent. But if you were to describe his performance on Wednesday, terms like magnificent, amazing and phenomenal would come to mind. The rookie out of Florida State put together his best night of the season as he notched a career-best 33 points to power the Clippers past the Hawks. With L.A. clinging on to a three-point lead and 14.9 seconds left on the clock, Thornton rejected a driving layup by fellow first-year player Acie Law to seal the deal.

Clippers sign Guillermo Diaz to another 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Clippers signed guard Guillermo Diaz to a second consecutive 10-day contract today. Signed to his first 10-day contract on Jan. 8, Diaz has appeared in one game grabbing one rebound in five minutes of action.

Diaz was the NBA’s ninth call-up from the NBA Development League and played with the Anaheim Arsenal this season.

In 14 games with Anaheim, Diaz tallied 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while connecting on 75-of-154 field goals (.487) and 72-of-84 free throws (.857).

Diaz, the Clippers’ second round selection (52nd overall) in the 2006 NBA Draft, averaged 5.7 points and 1.7 assists in seven contests for the Clippers during the 2007 preseason. Diaz was waived by the Clippers on October 25th, prior to the start of the regular season.

Diaz spent the 2006-07 season in the Czech Republic, where he averaged 20.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 15 games for CEZ Basketball Nymburk. He also played in five games with AEP Olimpiada Patron in the Greek League in 2007, tallying 13.0 points per game.

A 6’2” native from Puerto Rico, Diaz contributed 10.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in five games for the Clippers entry in the 2007 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

In three years at the University of Miami, Diaz tallied 15.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Diaz led Miami in scoring as a sophomore and a junior and was named to the All-ACC Second Team following both of those seasons.

Paul Davis out 6-8 months after right knee surgery

Los Angeles Clippers’ forward Paul Davis underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and torn lateral meniscus in his right knee.  The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews of the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

Davis is scheduled to remain in Birmingham undergoing physical therapy until his return to Los Angeles on January 11th.  The timetable for his return is expected to be six to eight months.

Davis originally sustained the injury in the second quarter of the Clippers’ game in Dallas on December 21st.  In 22 games this season, Davis averaged 2.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 8.8 minutes per game.