Goodbye, Santa Barbara

The Clippers are ending training camp in Santa Barbara on Saturday, although they plan on having one more two-a-day practice on Sunday in El Segundo. So, technically, thats training camp, too. Actually, until a regular-season game is played, let it be training camp.

One question is if this is the final trip to Santa Barbara for training camp. The Clippers practice facility in Playa Vista is scheduled to open next year, and there is a chance the team will hold training camp there.

However, there are less distractions for the team in Santa Barbara, and no decision has been made on whether it will keep camp in S.B. There is also a chance the Clippers will stay in S.B., even with the facility available.

A Clippers office pool

Place your bets, place your bets.

A lot is up in the air for the Clippers this season, mainly with the big question of when the injured Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston will be back.

Heres a little office pool to circulate to predict what happens first:

1. Livingston returns.
2. Brand returns.
3. The practice facility in Playa Vista opens.
4. March 1 comes.

Right now, in training camp, its a dead heat between them all. Visually, Livingston looks the closest. However, his injury is so multi-faceted, maybe Brand has a better chance of returning. Or maybe all the details of the practice facility will be completed. Who knows? Go ahead. Circulate the office pool.

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Although acquiring a third-string point guard probably isnt a big move for most teams, it was for the Clippers with Dan Dickau because the teams other point guards — Sam Cassell and Brevin Knight — both are aging and have had recent injury issues.

Knights performance this upcoming season will be interesting to watch. He is known as a good floor leader who plays speedy defense, but his jump shot has always been suspect.

Oddly, Knight and Cassell (if pronounced a little differently) are both chess terms. Mind you, the Clippers used to have Sean Rooks, and its not a stretch to think someone named King or Bishop might eventually come through the college ranks.

Anyway, through free agency, the Clippers basically traded Jason Hart for Knight, and it will be interesting to see how each performs this season. Hart, who also has a cool last name, is with the Utah Jazz.

Hart took part in a fabulous defensive matchup last season, when he guarded Luther Head of the Houston Rockets. It was a typical Cartesian battle of Hart vs. Head. Usually, I like Head in that match-up, but I think Hart actually had the better night.

Korolev is back … for now

Ahoy! Yaroslav Korolev was in Clipper training camp on Tuesday, after signing a free-agent, tryout contract on Tuesday morning.

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Barring some type of super-duper mega impressing of the coaching staff, Korolev will not be on the team this season. Even with some super-duper mega impressing, he still wont make the team because the Clippers already will have a league-maximum 15 players under contract.

Various items about Korolev have been on the Web and in the MSM speculating where he might play. One item said he would be playing in Turkey.

On Tuesday, Korolev took some time to clarify what happened.

“I did workouts with different teams, but of course, there are a lot of rumors, Korolev said. “If theres an offer from a team, then youre going there. But thats not true. If youre just talking to them, it doesnt mean youre going there. I was talking to a Turkey team, but Im here.

Korolev says he hopes to have such a great training camp that he shows an NBA team that he is worth signing. More realistically, he might show a foreign-league scout that he is worth signing or maybe an American minor league.

All guaranteed with Dickau

I have done a perusal of other Clipper blogs and chat rooms and the such and realize that the passion of Clipper nation remains strong, despite a potentially disastrous season on tap with Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston hurt.

I have also noticed that a lot of fans love to play coach and/or general manager trying to figure out who will make the team and who will start. As a member of the MSM Mainstream Media, I believe that means, — I have access and information to stop some of the misinformation out there. Some of it comes solely from the blogosphere, while other misinformation actually comes from the MSM itself.

Dickau