The AP reports: The Suns’ big win came at the expense of a Clippers squad without center Marcus Camby, out with an inner ear infection. The Clippers also played most of the game without leading scorer Zach Randolph, who was ejected in the first quarter after punching Phoenix reserve Louis Amundson. Leandro Barbosa scored 24 points and Amare Stoudemire added 23 as the Suns began their second-half push for the postseason. They’re one game behind Utah in the race for the last Western Conference playoff spot… The Suns shot 75.6 percent from the floor in the first half, with most of their buckets coming on layups and dunks. At halftime, Phoenix had more points in the paint (50) than the Clippers had total… Eric Gordon had 24 points for the Clippers.
Category: Los Angeles Clippers Blog
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NBA to borrow $175 million
The Sports Business Journal (Daniel Kaplan and John Lombardo) reports: The NBA is set to borrow $175 million Feb. 26, marking one of the first league financings since the implosion of the credit markets last fall. The money, which will be available to 15 teams, supplements an existing $1.7 billion leaguewide credit facility that uses the NBA’s media contracts as collateral to secure loans for the clubs. The NBA surveyed its teams, and 15 responded they would like to tap into the new borrowing. While the league said it is pleased to borrow in an extremely illiquid credit market, the deal came at a cost, with interest rates up to 8.27 percent, hammering home the notion that the era of cheap money in sports is over. The 15 teams can use the money for any purpose, but covering operating losses may be high on the list.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Loan me three fiddy. I want some ribs.
Pistons trade Alex Acker to Clippers, who waive Cheikh Samb
The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired guard Alex Acker and the Detroit Pistons’ second round selection in the 2011 NBA Draft from the Pistons in exchange for a conditional second round selection in the 2013 NBA Draft. In a related move, the Clippers also waived center Cheikh Samb.
A Compton native, Acker has appeared in seven games this season for the Pistons, averaging 1.3 points and 0.1 assists in 2.9 minutes per game. A former star at Pepperdine University, Acker was originally drafted by the Pistons in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft (60th overall) and played in five games and averaged 1.8 points during his rookie season.
Acker, 26, moved to Europe in 2006-07 and averaged 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists with the Greek team Olympiacos in Euroleague play. Acker appeared in 30 games with Spain’s FC Barcelona in 2007-08, averaging 6.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
A former standout at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, Acker finished his collegiate career at Pepperdine as the 20th all-time leading scorer in school history and was named to the 2004-05 All-West Coast Conference team as a junior and named the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2002-03.
In a related move, the Clippers waived center Cheikh Samb. Samb was acquired by the Clippers on Jan. 5 in a trade with Denver and proceeded to play in 10 games with Los Angeles, averaging 1.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.4 minutes.
Elgin Baylor lawsuit against Clippers
Former Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor spent 22 years barely accomplishing anything, making bad draft choices, and not succeeding at making the Clippers a good team.
Now, it’s well known that Baylor faced limits on how much money he was allowed to spend. The Clippers tended to use very little salary, and that makes it hard to ever build a real winner.
Still, Baylor was lousy at his job. Yet the Clippers let him keep his position for over two decades. That’s dedication.
The legendary former player and the organization have since gone their separate ways. But now, it’s getting ugly. The AP reports:
Elgin Baylor, the former Los Angeles Clippers general manager who left the team last fall after 22 years, has sued the franchise, the NBA and team owner Donald Sterling alleging employment discrimination. The lawsuit maintains that Baylor was “discriminated against and unceremoniously released from his position with the team on account of his age and his race” and that he was “grossly underpaid during his tenure with the Clippers, never earning more than $350,000 per year, when compared with the compensation scheme for general managers employed by every other team in the NBA.”
I side with the Clippers. From the outside, Baylor’s lawsuit sounds ridiculous.
Of course, that’s the thing. We’re all on the outside. No one knows what was going on behind closed doors. But, how bad could it have been? If Baylor was being mistreated, wouldn’t he have said or done something while he actually had his job? The guy had job security for over two decades, despite being fairly bad at what he did. The Clippers showed him amazing loyalty over the years.
Here’s a statement sent to InsideHoops.com and other media outlets from Los Angeles Clippers’ General Counsel Robert H. Platt, a partner at the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips:
“Now that they have staged their press conference, it has become even more apparent that the decision to bring the suit was driven by publicity-seeking attorneys hoping to draw attention to themselves. Their false claims carry no weight and have no credibility.”
“Elgin Baylor was with the Clippers for 22 years and he received numerous salary increases and was always treated well.”
“During Elgin’s tenure, the other NBA teams employed over 125 General Managers with an average tenure of less than five years. In fact, despite the team’s poor draft history and record, Elgin was the NBA’s longest serving General Manager when he chose to resign.”
“Elgin rejected the opportunity to continue with the organization as a paid consultant or stay in his current job. People can judge for themselves the results of his performance during his 22 years on the job. We stand by our assertion that Elgin was always treated fairly and honorably.”
Unless some new information comes out, I hope the Clippers win out here.
– InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner
Zach Randolph says he’s unguardable
The New York Post (Marc Berman) reports: Zach Randolph said he knows the Knicks miss him. “I’m a pretty good player,” Randolph said before his Clippers scored a 128-124 overtime victory over the Knicks. “Ain’t nobody in the league can guard me. I thought we were rolling, playing good, had the best start in a long time. We had a good team. I’m not going to start anything. It’s what they wanted to do. I don’t know why, but I guess they have plans. They say they have plans.”
Gordon scores 30, Clippers beat Knicks 128-124
The AP reports: Led by Eric Gordon’s 30 points, the Clippers beat the Knicks in overtime. Gordon got his points on just 16 shot attempts, and hit 4-of-8 from three-point range. Former Knick Zach Randolph had 22 points and 15 rebounds. Al Thornton had 20 with 8 rebounds. And Baron Davis shot just 5-of-17 for 13 points but dished 20 assists, with 5 turnovers. For New York, Nate Robinson shot 13-of-28 (just 2-of-11 three-pointers) for 33 points, 9 rebounds, 15 assists and 5 steals. Wilson Chandler score 27. Jared Jeffries, David Lee and Al Harrington all had double-doubles.
Radmanovic helps Bobcats top Clippers 94-73
The AP reports: Vladimir Radmanovic, buried on the bench with the Lakers, scored 13 points and hit three fourth-quarter 3-pointers in his Charlotte debut Monday night, helping turn a close game into a rout in the Bobcats’ 94-73 win over the road-weary Los Angeles Clippers… Emeka Okafor had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the undermanned Bobcats, who were missing starters Gerald Wallace (rib, lung) and Raja Bell (groin)… Zach Randolph had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Eric Gordon scored 17 for the Clippers, who fizzled in the fourth quarter in the finale of a seven-game road trip… Al Thornton shot 3-for-13, Camby 3-for-8 and Davis 1-for-7 in his return to Charlotte, where he began his NBA career with the Hornets.
Thornton scores 31, Clippers beat Hawks 121-97
The AP reports: Coach Mike Woodson was digusted with the effort of his Atlanta Hawks. Even with Mike Bibby injured and unable to play, Woodson at least expected the Hawks to play hard… Al Thornton scored 31 points and Zach Randolph had 25 in the Los Angeles Clippers’ 121-97 victory over the Hawks on Saturday night… Dropping to 18-6 at home, the Hawks never got any closer than nine after Johnson’s three-point play midway through the third. Johnson and Marvin Williams each scored 17 points for Atlanta, while Josh Smith added 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Elton Brand to have season-ending shoulder surgery
Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that forward Elton Brand will undergo surgery on his right shoulder, which he dislocated on December 17, 2008 against the Milwaukee Bucks. As a result of the surgery, Brand will miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season.
The surgery is scheduled for Monday afternoon at the Wilmington Surgery Center.
Brand’s MRI results were reviewed by team orthopedist and medical director Dr. Jack McPhilemy of Main Line Health System and Dr. Craig Morgan of the Morgan-Kalman Clinic in Wilmington, DE, who concluded that the initial tear of the labrum in Brand’s right shoulder is responsible for a considerable decrease in the range of motion and instability, both of which would not allow him to be effective on the court.
Following six weeks of non-operative and conservative treatment, including two weeks of testing it on a daily basis in live action, a determination was made that in order to reduce the risk of any further damage to the shoulder, surgery would be required.
“Elton wanted to do whatever he could to get back on the court and initially elected to forgo surgery in order to help his teammates,” Stefanski said. “He worked as hard as he could over the past six weeks to return, however the scope the injury would not allow it.”
Anthony Johnson steps up, Magic beat Clippers 125-96
The AP reports: Starting for the first time since All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson was injured, Anthony Johnson wanted to set a high standard. He may have set it too high. Johnson had a season-best 25 points in place of Nelson, and the Orlando Magic routed the Los Angeles Clippers 125-96 on Wednesday night. Johnson was quick to point out he won’t score big every game, especially against tougher competition… Al Thornton had 27 points, and Eric Gordon added 14 for the Clippers, losers of seven straight and 21 of their last 23 games. They could do little to stop Johnson, who nearly matched his regular-season career high of 27 points against Washington on Jan. 18, 2006, when he was with Indiana.