Aches, pains and signings

With Labor Day weekend here, we might as well rate the Clippers’ summer. IT IS AN F!

That might not necessarily be because of their moves, or lack of moves, but the news that Elton Brand will be out for at least several months is not at all what they needed. The news warrants the F. The signing of Brevin Knight should help a lot, but the question remains whether Sam Cassell can hold up for another year.

With so many teams in the West improved, it’s hard to see how the Clippers can seriously compete for a playoff spot with their injuries. Maybe they needed to go the Danny Ainge route and totally revamp their roster. But other than Corey Maggette and Brand himself, they might not have any serious trade bait on their roster.

If Mike Dunleavy leads this team to the playoffs, he should be the league’s Coach of the Year… But then again, a lot can happen. It’s only Labor Day weekend.