November 2008 Archives

Let's get back to those salary-clearing trades for a moment. The Knicks motivation for making the trades was imminently transparent. Their timing was not. Why would New York trade away its top two scorers in the beginning of the season when it had gotten off to a better-than-expected start? Why not try and make the playoffs this year? Those trades, maybe even better trades, would likely still be there later in the season, in the offseason, even next year?

One well-connected league executive theorized that the Knicks realized that they were in a position where they might end up just good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to do anything once they got there. Making a trade later this season and throwing away a real chance at the playoffs would be much harder to sell to their success-starved fan base. So would making a trade in the offseason, after a presumed first or second-round playoff exit.

All of which sets the Knicks up in a position to miss out on young (cheap) talent from lottery picks over the next two seasons.

This is exactly what happened to the Lakers during the interregnum between the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant years and the Pau Gasol-Kobe Bryant years. If it hadn't been for Kobe Bryant's ankle injury and Lamar Odom's shoulder injury in the 2004-05 season, the Lakers never would've lost enough games to get the lottery pick that turned into Andrew Bynum.

I was thinking about the offseason move that brought Jason Hart to the Clippers for Brevin Knight. Considering Hart has barely gotten off the pine since Mike Dunleavy made the move to play rookie Mike Taylor ahead of him, why would the Clippers even bother going out and getting Hart.

I've spoke with several people about this and the general feeling was that the club felt Hart would be a better fit for the No. 3 guard role than Knight, more from a locker room, team chemistry perspective than anything.

Since his demotion, Hart has been nothing but professional. He pushes Taylor in practice, teaches him, and is generally a pretty positive guy in the locker room.

Knight, the feeling is, may not have been as keen on riding the pine. And as such, would've stunted the development of Taylor, who has been a real bright spot in an otherwise dreary season.

Eric Gordon (hamstring) and Marcus Camby (ankle) both went through a relatively light practice on Sunday, though the practice was so light it's hard to draw many conclusions from that.

We should know more about their status for Tuesday's game in Dallas on Monday.

Eric Gordon left Saturday's game in the third quarter with a sore right hamstring. Gordon's injury is best described as a tight, sore hamstring than a pulled hamstring. Gordon said he didn't know how bad it was, or what the recovery time would be. But he'd know more in the morning.

It's worth noting that trainer Jasen Powell probably saved Gordon a more severe injury by taking him out of the game when he did. Once the muscle tightened, it easily could pulled, snapped or evolved into a more severe injury.

Marcus Camby also came away with a little ding. Camby limped off the court midway through the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a right foot injury. But returned a few minutes later and was on the court at the end of the game.

``I'll be OK,'' Camby said. ``I didn't really want to come out of the game because it was getting intense. It was getting fun going down the stretch, but I came back, got some more tape on it and I was able to continue.''

Camby said he tweaked his right ankle, but did not reinjure the bruised right heel that kept him out for most of training camp and the first three games of this year.

``I think I'll be out there in Dallas. I'll know more after tonight,'' he said.

It's worth noting that Camby walked out of the arena Saturday without any extra protection on his ankle. M experience has been that guys are immediately put into walking boots if the ankle sprain is considered serious, so this was an encouraging sign.

As for the two Clippers who didn't dress Saturday -- Chris Kaman and Ricky Davis -- my sense is that they will be out a little while. Kaman has been playing with a sore left arch for a little over a week now. He actually did injure it in the Oklahoma City game, it's not just a flare up from overuse.

He isn't going to travel on the four-game road trip, meaning the soonest he'll play again is December 8th against Orlando, but my sense is that two weeks (from Friday) is the most realistic.

Davis is going to shut it down for approximately two weeks too. His left knee tendinitis has flared up and Davis feels like he needs to rest it in order to resume playing at a level where he can help the team.

Chris Kaman is in street clothes for tonight's game against the Heat with a strained arch. No timetable has been set for his return, but he is not expected to make the team's upcoming four-game trip so the soonest he'd be back in uniform is probably December 8 against Orlando.

Baron Davis has a stomach virus, but is dressed and ready to play tonight. Not sure how much he'll be able to give though.

Chris Kaman is now doubtful for tonight's game against Miami with plantar fasciitis in his left foot; but a new player has been added to the injury list.

Baron Davis has come down with the stomach virus that took out Jason Hart and Brian Skinner the other night and will be a game-time decision.

Ouch.

When the Knicks acquired Tim Thomas as part of the Zach Randolph trade, it was assumed that Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni liked Thomas because of the success they had together in Phoenix.

He might still like him just fine, but a few pounds less of him would be preferable, according to an article in the New York Post.

D'Antoni said both Harrington and Thomas have to get in better shape.

"It's going to be difficult for Cuttino also," Thomas said. "I have to continue to get in shape for this system. It's up and down, and in L.A., it was run when you have the opportunity. The last couple of years, it's been that way. I know how to get myself right. I've played it before. It will take me a week and I'll be ready."

Jason Hart and Brian Skinner are OK after missing Wednesday's game with the flu. Chris Kaman is officially questionable with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Ricky Davis is doubtful with a sore left knee.

Kaman will likely be a game-time decision while he waits to see how his foot responds to the cortisone shot he got on Wednesday night. My understanding is that it generally takes 48-72 hours for the shot to have its greatest effect so Kaman is still within that window.

I'm not always big into trying to read guys moods from what they saw and how they act. Any NBA player who has been in the league for a few years is pretty good at saying and doing the right things when the media is around.

But I will say, Baron Davis' mood seems to have brightened considerably in the last week. Basically, as soon as the Randolph trade went down, and about the same time Eric Gordon and Mike Taylor have gotten it going. BD seems to really enjoy mentoring the rookies.

Tonight after the close loss to the Nuggets, Baron went around the locker room giving fist taps to all the guys and wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. He's social on other nights, but this was by far the most I'd seen him reach out to the team after a tough loss.

The other day we had a chance to ask him about mentoring the young players. Here's what he said:

``With Mike it's a little different because he is a point guard so it's like a lot of times you have to do more coaching,'' Davis said. ``You have to tell him, `that's not a good play, that's not a good pass, you gotta pass the ball to him.' I'm a little harder on Mike than I am on Eric because they play two different positions. We have a great relationship though.

``When I come off the court and sit on the bench, he's in my ear. And I respect that because he knows what I can do out there and he's making sure I'm doing everything that I possibly can, it's another set of eyes. He has good eyes and Jason Hart is the same way. We all kind of communicate to each other and try to help each other out there.''

So the Clippers came down the court, down 106-105 with 9.9 seconds to go, having already decided to play it through and not call a timeout.

Why?

``I did not want to call a timeout. I don't believe in that,'' assistant coach Kim Hughes said. ``I'm kind of like Jerry Sloan in that. I think it's to your advantage to go in transition, without allowing them to get in a set defense.''

OK, so then what happened?

``I thought Baron had a wonderful opportunity to penetrate, he chose not to, which is fine. Marcus was open. I don't think it was a great shot. I'm sure he doesn't think it was a great shot. Eric Gordon was wide open up top,'' Hughes said. ``You can look back, and remember that you didn't call a timeout. If it was a situation where we should've called a timeout, I'll take the heat for that. But I don't believe in that.''

And so the Clippers ended up with the ball in Marcus Camby's hands about 22-feet out with about two seconds left on the clock.

Camby's not really a 3-point shooter, though he can make them.

"It was right there on line. It just came up short,'' Camby said after the game.

What if it would've gone in and Camby would've beaten his former team?

"I guess that's just fitting the way our season has gone,'' he said. ``We had this team last time up 18 at halftime and we let them come back and win the ballgame. I thought the effort was good. We were missing a lot of players. We had two guys sick. Kaman went down. We were without Mike today. His father in law passed. We had a lot of things stacked against us. But I thought the effort was definitely there.''

On another wild night in Clipperland, one of the most entertaining parts had to be our pre-game press conference with assistant coach Kim Hughes, who was filling in for Mike Dunleavy tonight.

Hughes is a smart guy with a dry sense of humor. With all the crazy developments taking place before Wednesday's game --Jason Hart and Brian Skinner coming down with the flu, Chris Kaman taking up until game time to decide whether his painful left arch would allow him to play, Ricky Davis potentially shutting it down for two weeks with a sore left knee -- that sardonic wit really took the edge off of things.

I'll try and convey just how funny, wry and engaging Hughes was in this account.

Q: How many times have you been the head coach?

KH: ``This is the second time. The other was February of last year in Madison Square Garden. We got lucky and won.

Q: So if you win tonight, and go 2 for 2, think Mike will let you do it more often?

A: This isn't about me, this about us getting a win.

The last time; Mike was sick and (TV announcer) Ralph Lawler said to me on the bus, are you nervous and I said, `About what?' and he said, `You're coaching.'

I said, `Oh really?' That was about 4:30 in the afternoon.

``I thought I'd be really nervous and I wasn't. It's not that much different than people think. And ... the power is a rush.''

Q: Did you ride the refs?

KH: ``No, I don't do that. My father refereed college basketball for 25 years and he said he'd break my neck if he saw me doing it. I'll talk to them. I think it's more effective to talk to them under your breath and talk to them like a man. I think you can milk calls a lot better (that way) than embarrassing them. I'm upset with them, but if you're yelling they're not listening to you.

Q: Will you stand up as much as Mike?
KH: ``I'm not even comparing it to Mike. In the second half I won't have to stand as much because they're in front of us. I'll stand in the first half because the defense is away from us and try to transfer the calls to our guys. We've got a situation where a couple of our guys don't know our plays, actually, more than a couple. So we have to make it as simple as possible.

Q: How much will Zach play?

KH: That will depend on the status of Chris Kaman. He may not be able to play.

Q: What's wrong with him?

KH: Do you have like an hour to talk about it?

Oh, physically you're saying. He's got a strained arch and I don't know what the chances of him playing are. He's in the training room getting treatment right now, he didn't participate in shoot-around, he didn't practice yesterday.

He's actually been struggling with it for five games. If you notice he can't jump any more. He's been fighting through it. He's missed a lot of short layups because he can't finish at the rim. He's been fighting it, he sat out two days, and he'll get a cortisone shot tonight, which he'll do either at halftime if he's not playing or after the game if he's playing.

He had a bone bruise in his ankle. This is a diferent injury. It's on the bottom of his foot and its really more pain than injury. But it's limiting his jumping and he thinks it affects his movement.

Q: Does this game being against Denver (where Hughes spent five years as an assistant) have any extra meaning?

KH: No not at all. I loved my time in Denver. I had a really bad last year, where I wasn't able to work. But I lived in Denver 28 years and it was a good time for me. I liked George Karl, I loved Nene. A lot of their players are gone from when I was there.

But when I left I always told Mike you need to go get Marcus Camby because he's so good, he's so smart.

This is not a vendetta (game).

Our whole focus is: We've got to get better, we've got to find our chemistry, we've got to guard dribble penetration and we've got to be tougher.

Q: What happened in Denver in that last year?

KH: I was told by management that the coachign staff didn't want me there. But a lot of the players would come up to me and ask me questions. Jeff Bzdelik told me, `I really want you on staff but I'm not able to' and I believe Jeff. I think Jeff was being very honest with me.

And I don't begrudge them because in all honesty I wanted Larry Harris to be the GM before Kiki (Vandeweghe) got there, so why would Kiki want me around. And I like Kiki, but why would he want me around if I wanted Larry Harris to be the GM. You want your own people and I fully understand that.

Clippers center Chris Kaman played just 12 minutes before leaving Wednesday's game with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The injury has bothered Kaman for about five games, but has gotten progressively worse.

Kaman said he'll get a cortisone shot in his foot after the game.

``I've been playing a lot of minutes,'' Kaman said. ``Right now it's pretty sore. Hopefully once I get this injection it should be good in two or three days. Basically I (was) trying to get through today because we have a couple of days off and then Thanksgiving.''

He's listed as day-to-day.

Ricky Davis has been a bit of a mystery this season, averaging career lows pretty much across the board and shooting a frigid 27 percent. Wednesday he provided a glimpse of what might be wrong.

Apparently the tendinitis in his left knee has been flaring up a lot this season, making it painful to jump, shoot and cut. He's tried to play through it because the team needed him, and he knew he had an opportunity to play a lot in the early going. Unfortunately the pain, he said Wednesday, has gotten to be too much and he's going to shut it down for a little while to try and get things back in order.

``It's awful. We're probably looking at about two weeks,'' Davis said, when asked how much time he'd miss. ``I haven't really put a time on it yet. It was just a lot of pain going on.'

Why is he shutting it down now?

``I feel like I'm out there like 60 percent,'' he said. ``I'm kind of hurting the team more than anything. I decided to sit down and get it right. I thought I could play through it a little bit. I'd rather get it right.''

Chris Kaman's sore left foot has forced him out of the game. He will not return.

OK, bullet points because I've got an early deadline with the holiday:

--Kim Hughes will coach tonight. Mike Dunleavy did not make it back from Dallas, where he was attending his father in laws funeral. He will rejoin the team Friday.

--Brian Skinner and Jason Hart have the flu and are not even here tonight.

--Ricky Davis is contemplating shutting it down for two weeks to rest his painful left knee. He says that it's been affecting his play to the point that he's ``hurting the team more than anything''

--Chris Kaman is deciding whether he can play tonight. His left arch has flared up and been causing him severe discomfort of late. He plans to get a cortisone shot soon.

--Zach Randolph would start if Kaman is unable to play tonight.

With all the drama surrounding the finalities of the Clippers big trade for Zach Randolph, the other guy included in the deal, guard Mardy Collins, has been largely ignored.

Collins was a bit of a throw-in to the deal, but the Clips are happy to have him. He's a 6-6 guard with a great basketball pedigree though a lot of people just know him as the guy who started the fight with the Denver Nuggets back in December of 2006.

I called up a couple reporters who dealt with Collins back in New York who insisted that Mardy is actually a really good guy, and the brawl was very out of character for him. So far that description has been pretty accurate from what I've seen out of Mardy.

He struck me as a real polite, thoughtful guy. His inclusion in the deal takes him away from the East Coast for the first time in his life really. Collins went to Simon Gratz High in Philadelphia, the same high school as Aaron McKie and Rasheed Wallace attended. He also went to Temple, so the comparisons to McKie are pretty much cemented into his biography by now.

He's generally regarded as a smart basketball player who plays some pretty good defense. He said today that he was excited about playing in the Clippers half-court oriented offense, which is more like the system he excelled in, in college.

``I think I've got most of the plays down,'' Collins said after the Clippers practiced on Tuesday. ``There's a lot of combinations in them so it's kind of confusing, but I should be alright.

``There are a lot of plays, but they all make sense and go together. It's the kind of system I've worked in before, with half-court sets, so it definitely helps.

``Once I get out there and don't have to think about what i'm doing, that's when I think everything will feel a little better.''

With Ricky Davis doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets with knee pain, don't be surprised to see Collins see some minutes tommorrow.

``For Mardy it depends on matchups,'' assistant coach Kim Hughes said Tuesday when asked how much Collins might play Wednesday. ``I think he has the ability to guard Carmelo. ... And I kind of like the fact that he got into it with Melo a year ago.''

I forgot to mention that shooting guard Ricky Davis is doubtful for tommorrow's game with pain in his left knee. He did not practice Tuesday. A determination on his status will be made tommorrow.

If Davis is unavailable, rookie Eric Gordon would start the game. Though I have to say, I'm pretty sure that even if Davis is available, Gordon would be starting after the performance he had last night against New Orleans.

A lot of rumors have been flying around about the Clippers and Charlotte talking about trades for Chris Kaman. Every time another one hits the internet, I call up four or five people who generally know what's going on, and am told the same thing: Kaman isn't being traded.

I'm not the only one making these calls of course. Agents and front office types are too, just seeing if there is anything to them. Any one of these calls could result in movement in the situation, which is sort of what happened last week when talks with the Knicks stalled over the Knicks' request for Marcus Camby and draft picks, then re-opened later in the week after the Knicks came back and said they'd do the deal for Mobley and Thomas.

I can only go off of what people tell me, but every time I ask I'm told that nothing substantive is happening with Kaman right now.

In addition to Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins, the Clippers received approximately $1 million dollars from the Knicks in the trade for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas last Friday.

Also, because of the way Randolph's contract is structured, nearly a third of his salary is deferred money. His salary cap number is the same of course, but the actual payouts are different.

In other words, financially this deal was quite a bit more shrewd for the Clippers side than we'd previously understood.

The Clippers and Knicks finalized their trade for Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins around 12:30 this afternoon.

Zach and Mardy were able to take part in the short practice Tuesday. Assistant coach Kim Hughes ran practice today because Mike Dunleavy was in Dallas for a family funeral.

Dunleavy said Monday that he expected to be back in time for Wednesday's game, but it really depends on flight times. If he doesn't make it back, Kim Hughes would coach the team against the Nuggets.

By Ramona Shelburne
Staff Writer

The Clippers' proposed trade with the New York Knicks has gone through, a source close to the team said Tuesday afternoon. The Clippers traded Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas to the New York Knicks for Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins.

The deal had hit a snag Monday night, when New York raised questions about the condition of Mobley's heart.

The knicks had Mobley undergo additional testing Tuesday and signed off on the deal shortly thereafter.

Cuttino Mobley is having additional tests done on his heart this afternoon. After those are completed, the Knicks will decide whether to approve the four-player deal with sent Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to Los Angeles for Mobley and Tim Thomas.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters in New York that Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh would make a final decision on the deal.

"There are more tests today and this afternoon Donnie will make a decision (after) whatever comes out of the tests," D'Antoni told reporters at the Knicks practice.

OK, so I'm about to head for bed after another wild night in Clipperland and if you pinned me down, I'd still say I'm pretty sure the Randolph trade will end up going through.

There is some sense that the reason New York might be holding back on approving the deal, and signing off on Mobley's heart condition, is that it's trying to get a ``rebate'' from the Clippers. Say a draft pick, back from them as some sort of compensation for accepting Mobley with this condition.

That might be true, since New York had really wanted a draft pick as compensation before even making the deal on Friday. If that's the case, the Clippers will not be pleased. According to a person familiar with the club's thinking, the Clippers are pretty adamant about not giving any sort of ``rebate.''

But I don't think it's the whole story.

Basically, New York is just making itself comfortable with Mobley's condition. He's obviously had no setbacks from it in the past, which is why it has never come out in public before. But considering NY's recent history with Eddy Curry, you can understand why it would be wary, and insist upon doing its due diligence.

Second, New York had the luxury of time. It didn't play Monday night. So it could spend an extra day checking into things.

But the most compelling reason I see this deal going down is that New York has made such a public case for why it did the deal, sold the notion of clearing cap space for LBJ in 2010 so well, I just don't see ever getting this fizz back into a bottle.

Clippers president Andy Roeser said he's ``confident that both guys (Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins) will be in uniform'' when the team plays Denver on Wednesday, despite concerns raised by the Knicks about a physical condition of Cuttino Mobley's that has held up the four-player deal.

The Clippers have been saying all night that they expected this situation to be resolved by tommorrow morning, which I took to mean that there was just some paperwork issues that were dragging on. But I just came across a report on NBA.com which calls the trade ``in limbo'' because of a physical concern about Cuttino Mobley raised by the Knicks.

I'm checking this out and will update with more information as I get it.

Looks like Eric is OK. He's back in the game.

Well, that didn't last long. Rookie Eric Gordon got his first career start tonight with Ricky Davis limited by tendonitis in his knee, but then went and sprained his ankle just a few minutes into tonight's game against New Orleans.

His return is questionable.

Rookie Eric Gordon will make his first start of the season tonight, when the Clippers tip of against the New Orleans Hornets at 7:30 here at Staples.

Just got word that Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins will not be in uniform today because there has been some hold up with the physicals.

Here's a part of my NBA column that somehow didn't make it onto the internet on Sunday that I thought was pretty interesting in regards to the Clippers:

A few weeks ago NBA commissioner David Stern announced the league was laying off about 9 percent of its workforce, amid fears that the country's economic recession was going to severely cut into the league's growth.

Well, we're nearly a month into the season and attendance is basically flat compared to last season. Not half bad, considering the grim news coming from the economic sector every day.

Where the poor economy is being felt are in cities or regions that are being hardest hit by the recession and/or trying to support a losing team.

The steepest declines in attendance thus far come from Miami, where the Heat is off by an average of 3,622 fans a game from last year and Los Angeles, where the Clippers are off by 2,743 fans compared to last year.

Right behind those two franchises are the Philadelphia 76ers (-2,112), the Sacramento Kings (-2,101), the Charlotte Bobcats (-1,677) and Orlando Magic (-1,165).

There are a few exceptions of course. The new Oklahoma City Thunder has the worst record in the league and is still packing the house nearly every night. So are the dreadful Washington Wizards, who are still drawing 17,582 fans a game.

Those franchises that have managed to tread water in these turbulent times have come up with some creative promotions. Saturday, the Nets hosted the first of five job fairs, where unemployed fans who attend and bring a copy of their resume are given free tickets to the game.

"Unemployment is on the rise in the metropolitan area, so we want to offer our fans that are between jobs some help in finding a job, as well as a chance to relieve some stress by coming to a Nets game," Nets CEO Brett Yormark said in a press release. "We are committed to investing in our fans now, and hopefully they will invest in us when times are better."

Answers will flow freely Monday and Tuesday. I got a bit behind after the crazy day on Friday and follow up on Saturday. Feel free to send a few new ones over if you want, since obviously a lot has changed in Clipperland since Friday morning.

Here's what coach and GM Mike Dunleavy had to say Friday night when I asked whether this move was a precursor to any other moves.

``There's plenty of minutes for all three of them,'' Dunleavy said. ``I don't anticipate trading any of those three guys because I think they can play together. That's why we went out and got them.

``I think it's going to be great for us, as long as guys don't get caught up in the ego part of the game.''

Dunleavy also said there is a possibility all three could play on the floor at the same time, meaning Al Thornton could see some time at the shooting guard spot.

``We could just go real big,'' he said. ``I think Marcus has shown the ability to guard smaller players. He did that tonight (against Philadelphia) several times.''

In the short term, the most likely scenario would be Randolph coming off the bench while he learns the system (a few games at most), then Dunleavy deciding which combinations work best. Dunleavy believes Camby is a perfect complementary player for Kaman and Randolph.

For now, Ricky Davis will likely start at the 2 spot, but rookie Eric Gordon will see a lot more playing time. If he seizes the opportunity, the starting job could be his sooner rather than later.

I just got off the phone with Zach Randolph, who on a bus in Milwaukee, but took time out to speak about today's trade to the Clippers.

Here's what he said:

(On coming to the Clippers)
``I'm definitely excited to come out there it'll be a new situation for me. Coach Dunleavy is a great coach and he plays the style of basketball I like to play. So it's definitely going to be something great and a new experience.

(On the Clippers slow start)

``I definitely think they can turn it around. They've had a tough start, but they've got some great players. Kaman, Marcus, a great point guard with Baron and some other great players, like Al Thornton. It's going to be interesting to come out there and try to turn this thing around and hopefully we can win some games.''

(Speaking of turning things around. How does it feel to be leaving the Knicks right as New York seems to be turning things around?)

``We started off pretty good, things have being going good. Coach, the organization have been great. It's just something they wanted to do to make cap room. I'm just going to continue to do what I've been doing, continue to work hard and help my team win.''

(On growing up while in New York, after some off court incidents in Portland)

``It's a big city and there's a lot going on. I've just been focused on basketball and improving as a player, and winning games. I'm getting older, I'm focused on my career, focused on winning and tring to get a ring.

``I'm 27 now, I'm a lot older and I've been in this league a long time now so I know the ropes.''

(On the potential trade with the Clippers over the summer)

``I know they've been trying to get me for a long time. So that feels good. I'm ready to get started, ready to work.''

Here's what Lakers coach Phil Jackson had to say about the trade before Friday's game with the Nuggets.

``Randolph gives them an inside presence,'' Jackson said. ``For whatever it cost them in that process, I think it was a pretty good deal for them.

``Randolph is a good offensive rebounder. He's a guy who can create stuff on his own on the inside. I think they're ready to move on and try to do some different things. With Baron out there I don't think the guard situation that Mobley gave them (was working out).

``Looking at Elton Brand and Philadelphia, everything isn't coming up roses for them. They're still learning how to play together. You know, it will take a while for teams to
figure out the personalities.''

Just finished speaking with Cuttino Mobley's agent, Andy Miller, to get a quick feel for how Cat reacted to the deal.

``I think best way to describe is shock,'' Miller said of his client's reaction.``He had good run in Los Angeles with the Clippers. He enjoyed playing for the organization. But while he's disappointed to be traded, he's looking to being back on the East Coast with the Knicks.''

Mobley is originally from Philadelphia. He played college ball at the University of Rhode Island.

The plan is for Randolph and Collins to travel to LA over the weekend, take physicals on Monday, and hopefully be in uniform for Monday's game vs. New Orleans. Mobley and Thomas are expected at a press conference in New York tommorrow afternoon, but probably won't take physicals until Monday as well.

According to his agent, pretty darn good.

``We talked about the trade in the summer and he was excited about it then,'' his agent Raymond Brothers said. ``We talked about it today and he's very happy it's happened. He thinks the Clippers have a good core of players. He's excited to play with Baron Davis, Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby.''

Zach Randolph will wear #50, Mardy Collins will wear #25

This creates quite a bit more playing time for rookie Eric Gordon. Expect his minutes to increase soon, as the club believes he could eventually be the team's top perimeter defender.

My first question, after staring at the possibility of three front court players --Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman and Zach Randolph -- averaging 9.5, 10.8 and 12.5 rebounds a game, respectively, is which of those three starts the game on the bench? Or, if this move is a precursor to another move.

I've confirmed that the Knicks did ask for Camby earlier this week; which caused the talks to stall, and which is the reason I wrote a few days ago that it didn't look like the Clippers would be making any big moves any time soon. However when the Knicks decided that they'd take Thomas instead, the deal got done very quickly.

So, is this a precursor to another move?

From what I'm hearing, No.

A source close to the team told me that the Clippers were ``done'' and any playing time questions would be decided by Coach Mike Dunleavy, not general manager Mike Dunleavy.

Still, I expect this to be a fluid situation, depending on how the team plays.

In other news, the Clippers play Philly in a few hours and see Elton Brand for the first time since the events of last summer. Wow, doesn't that seem like a long time ago now.

Just got off the phone with Zach Randolph's agent Raymond Brothers.

Brothers said he hadn't spoken with Randolph about his trade to the Clippers yet, but anticipated that Randolph would be ``fine with it'' and excited to come to Los Angeles.

As for some of the character issues that have followed Randolph from earlier in his career, Brothers said, ``I've always told people that Zach came out of Michigan State when he was 18 years old. But now he's grown up and he's fine.

``Zach is a competitor, he's already proven himself as a basketball player. I think now his main focus is to win. I think he's definitely going to help the Clippers.''

The Clippers have agreed to a trade for New York Knicks forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins in exchange for guard Cuttino Mobley and forward Tim Thomas, a league source told the Daily News Friday afternoon.

Randolph is a dominant low post threat, having averaged 16.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in his eight seasons in the NBA. This season with the Knicks, he's excelled in new coach Mike D'Antoni's system, averaging 20.5 points and a career-high 12.5 rebounds.

Mobley is averaging 13.7 points this season, Thomas is averaging 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds.

The Clippers have long-admired Randolph's athleticism and offensive game.
And with the team averaging a paltry 90.9 points a game, better only than three other teams in the league, the Clippers jumped at the chance to acquire him.

They tried to land Randolph in the summer as well, offering the Knicks a similar salary-saving deal they later offered Denver for center Marcus Camby. The Knicks passed on that deal, preferring to hold Randolph for real assets, as opposed to just salary-cap relief.

By acquiring Mobley and Thomas, whose contracts both expire in two seasons, the Knicks better position themselves as players for the wild free agent summer of 2010, when stars like LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade will be free agents.

Randolph's contract has three years and approximately $48 million remaining on it.

Just got word from a league source that the proposed Zach Randolph for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley deal is very real, and very close to going down.

I've been checking into the reports out of New York all morning and getting nothing but radio silence on the Clippers end. That usually means one of three things: 1. They don't want to talk at all 2. They haven't decided yet 3. Something else.

Essentially, it's wait and see until radio silence ends.

Here's what I will tell you, from the recent conversations I've had with the Clippers. Payroll flexibility is very important to them. Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas both have contracts that expire before the golden year of 2010. Hence, they are very attractive to every team in the league. That's also why they are attractive to the Clippers, who have quietly worked very hard to become players for 2010 as well.

That said, the Clippers like Zach Randolph a lot. They tried to land him over the summer, making New York the same kind of offer they made Denver when they acquired Marcus Camby. Basically, a straight salary dump. New York passed, wanting a real asset from the Clippers.

In my last conversation with the front office, I was told the team was not having substantial discussions involving Chris Kaman. And that it was going to be very hard for them to make a deal before December 15 because a quarter of the roster can not be traded before then. They also have no intention of trading any of the three rookies.

That means there were six players who could be traded: Thomas, Mobley, Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, Paul Davis, Brian Skinner.

I think that makes things quite obvious, since Baron isn't going anywhere soon and Ricky, Paul and Brian don't have much trade value except as throw-ins to make salaries match up.

As soon as I hear something I'll get back to you.

.... When we last left off, I was recounting the circumstances of Elton Brand and Corey Maggette's decisions to opt out of the final years of their contracts and sign as free agents elsewhere.

Here's one very important thing to note: At the time Elton opted out of his contract on June 30, his intention was to return to the Clippers. He and David Falk said it multiple times.

His intention was so strong, he spent the next day or two helping to court Baron Davis to sign with the Clippers. Davis, the third player in this dramatic triad, decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Warriors at the 11th hour, when it became clear the Warriors would not give him an extension. Subsequent reports out of the Bay Area indicate the Warriors had offered Baron and extension, then pulled it back.

Needless to say, when Baron opted out of his contract, everything changed.

Udrih was no longer the primary target. Davis was, and Brand had several conversations with him trying to woo him.

One problem: The Clippers had approximately $27 million in salary cap space. If Brand wanted $15 million a season, that left only $12 million for Udrih/Davis/Maggette. Maggette wanted $10 or $11 million, Udrih was looking for a full mid-level exception deal (approximately $5.5 million a season), Davis' market value was somewhere in the $12-$15 million a season range as well.

The question was: would any of those players settle for less to be together?

Very quickly, it appeared Brand and Davis had worked it out amongst themselves. Brand verbally agreeing to take $14 million a season (five years, $70 million) Baron agreeing to $13 million a season (five years, $65 million).

It all seemed so easy.

As promised, here's the first of several entries I'll be posting about the Elton Brand situation.

A lot of people ask me, to this day, what exactly happened over the summer which led to Elton ending up in Philadelphia, Baron being in LA with the Lakers and Corey heading up the 101 to play for the Warriors.

Here's the best I've been able to make of it. The original plan, as Elgin Baylor and Mike Dunleavy stated many times before the NBA Draft in late June, was to bring both Elton and Corey back, draft the best player available, and make a run at free agent point guard Beno Udrih. The Clippers would've preferred that both players play out the final year of their contracts. Corey and Elton though, were not entirely comfortable with that arrangement, and preferred to opt-out and ask the team for a new contract.

Hey,

I'll try and get the answers out a little quicker this week. Have them in by Friday afternoon..

Also, just a little tease: I'll have some info on tommorrow's game vs. Elton Brand and the 76ers up a little later today.

Although coach Mike Dunleavy said earlier in the season that DeAndre Jordan could see some time in the D-League this year, don't expect his trips down there to be long or frequent.

The organization is VERY high on him and would prefer to see him work every day in practice against Kaman and Camby, rather than some other project players in the D-League. If he were to go down there, it would likely be during a stretch that was heavy on games and light on practice time.

The buzzards aren't quite yet circling, but they might be making flight plans.

That's what happens when a team opens the season 1-9, as the Clippers have. Every loss brings a handful of new phone calls from front offices around the NBA, wondering if they might be of any assistance in shaking things up.

The Clippers generally tend to answer those phone calls and listen, but don't expect any major moves right away for two very important reasons.

First, the club still feels like its current roster can win.

"I think guys are honestly really committed to turning this thing around," Clippers forward Marcus Camby said after practice Tuesday. "We still feel like we have a chance to make the playoffs. It may seem bleak because of where we're at right now, but we still have 70-plus games to go."

And second, because by league rules, nearly a quarter the roster can't be traded until Dec. 15 because they were acquired in the offseason via trade. Three players are rookies, and the club has no intention of letting any of them go.

So essentially, half the roster is off-limits until Dec. 15, which is 23 games into the season, approximately the amount of time club officials have always felt was necessary to fairly evaluate how all the pieces on this roster are fitting together.

"First of all, whether we're 1-9 or 9-1, you're always exploring options that could make your team better," Clippers coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy said. "You're always in work mode. You're always talking to people.

"It's awful, horrible where we are. But there's 70-plus games left in the season. ... The real question I'm looking for is: Who are the guys that are mentally tough and want to work ... and who are the guys that are heading for the hills?"

Last week, trade rumors began swirling around center Chris Kaman after a report in the New York Post said the Charlotte Bobcats had inquired about him. Dunleavy acknowledged Charlotte had called and that the Clippers had listened, but contended the talks died rather quickly.

Since that report, rather predictably, about half the league has called to inquire about Kaman's availability. But according to a source with knowledge of the team's thinking, Kaman is not involved in any substantive personnel discussions at the moment.

Now, does this mean the Clippers will make a big move after December 15? No, not at all. Just that you should consider the restrictions on the team whenever a trade rumor floats around the team.

As for other guys whose names often come up in trade rumors: guys like Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas whose contracts expire before the golden year of 2010. Well, the same reason all those other teams would want Mobley or Thomas is the same reason the Clippers would want to keep them.

After all, the Clippers have worked very hard, albeit somewhat quietly, to position themselves well to be in on the 2010 bonanza and aren't keen on trading that away.

Last week I asked you how well the players get along and you said they get along great. How is the players' relationships to the coach? Not just Baron Davis, but in general. Do the vets like Cat, Ricky and TT respect coach Dunleavy? Do the rookies like Gordon and Jordan understand why they don't play as much?

I actually had this conversation with Ricky last week, just trying to get his perspective on how Dunleavy compares with the NBA's ultimate stickler, Pat Riley, whom he played for in Miami last season and Ricky said it was't even close.

Dunleavy, in his mind at least, is actually pretty laid back.

``He lets guys be guys,'' Ricky Davis said. Compared to Miami, where ``everything was monitored.''

I haven't spoken to Tim or Cat about this recently, so I can't speak directly on this.

How visible is Donald Sterling around the team? Practices? Locker rooms? Does he interact with the players? He used to love to talk to Lamar Odom.

I don't see Mr. Sterling at practice, or in the locker rooms, but he's generally pretty visible at Staples Center on game days. I've seen him walking around the building quite a bit recently.

Sorry to be so slow with these this week. I've been sick the last few days. Here's the second set of answers...

Has there been any talk of Dunleavy stepping down as Coach and solely focusing on being the GM? I would like to see them go after a coach who can actually utilize Baron's athleticism and instincts as well as the team's athleticism in the right way.

In a word: No. I have asked this question very delicately to a couple of people within the organization, because there's obviously a bit of frustration on how the team is performing, but I don't think anyone is thinking along these lines right now.

Do you know if any of the team or staff check Clipper blogs/message boards to see what the fans are saying? If so, who and where?

I don't know about this. Sorry. A week or so ago, coach Dunleavy said he reads hoopshype every day. And Peter Vecsey, whenever he writes.

Has Kim Hughes been able to work with DeAndre Jordan much in practice?

Yeah, Kim works with all the big guys. I see Kim and Kaman staying after practice all the time. DeAndre, being a rookie, also works some with Fred Vinson, who is the ``young guy'' coach.

Why doesn't Dunleavy stick to consistent rotations and line-ups? He has consistently messed around with line-ups over the past several years. The worst example was his Corey Maggette off the bench experiment.

I think with this team, and all the new players, there will be a lot of mixing and matching. But overall, I would say that Coach Dunleavy is a big match-ups guy. Last week, when he put Jason Hart in before Mike Taylor, just a few games after he'd decided to make Taylor the back-up point guard, ahead of Hart, was a good example. Basically, coach said that he just preferred the matchup of Hart against Dallas' Jason Kidd over Taylor vs. Kidd. But it also had to do with the fact that Hart had played well against Dallas in the past.

Clearly his style of "trying to match up against other teams" and saying "we can do whatever the other team does; run, play big or go half court" doesn't work. The Clippers need an identity and should stick with it, instead of trying to just merely match up. We should make other teams try to match up with us, not play to what the other teams try to do.

I think Coach would agree with you. That said, he has said numerous times that he would like this team to be a ``running team'' and has made a commitment to that. But any Dunleavy coached team will emphasize defense first. So until they nail that down, everything else is secondary.

Also, in my opnion we need to give the rookies more minutes. Start Eric Gordon and bring Cat in off the bench would be a good start.

I think Eric will see his minutes increase steadily throughout the year. I don't know about starting though. Cat's veteran presence in that role is very valuable. I'd say it just depends on whether the team starts winning, and how quickly that happens. If it doesn't happen soon, Eric's role would increase sooner rather than later. But we're still a long ways from writing off the season. A long ways.

I just finished filing my story on today's ugly loss to the Golden State Warriors and thought I'd shed a little more light on the story since I didn't have much space in the paper to write.

Basically, now I think the Clippers are in trouble. The first six games weren't a surprise considering the injuries and misfortune the team suffered in training camp.

There were even a lot of things to be encouraged about in those first six games.

Then came the loss to Sacramento on Wednesday, and this stinker today. The problems are getting worse, not better. The team is resorting to jacking up 3-pointers way too often, not hustling and playing hard on defense, and hanging their heads on the bench.

There were about five times Saturday when I saw a Warrior have an open look at the basket and not one Clipper running toward him to contest the shot. That's just a lack of effort, and in the NBA, where effort and motivation can blow with the wind, the most serious kind of problem.

Anyway, below is the game story I just filed:

Marcus Camby has the flu... He is dressed, he warmed up and presumably can play. We just don't know how much.

Just wanted to point you toward a nice story in the Contra Costa Times, one of our sister papers, on Baron Davis' feelings toward his old team, the Golden State Warriors, who come to town tommorrow afternoon.

Here's the money quote:

``I've never been hurt like that," Davis said, fidgeting with tape holding together his left ring and middle fingers. "I was hurt. It kind of gave me like a bad feeling. It is a business. That's the sad thing about it, that at any point and time you can be separated from your family. And it's not that your family wants you to go. It's not your neighbors want you to go. It's just people who don't really have an effect on the game are, I guess, the people who own the block."

Wow, a word of warning... don't watch this with the sound on at work :)

Thought I'd post a link to the feature I wrote on Al Thornton earlier in the week. I had the chance to meet Al's parents after a recent home game and learn how Al became Al on a home-made, dirt court back in Perry, Ga.

Try and have them in by 3 p.m. Friday and I'll answer them over the weekend...

There is a feeling in the organization that Eric Gordon could develop into the team's top perimeter defender by the end of the season.

I've been wondering, as I'm sure a lot of folks have through the Clippers atrocious start, how long it would take for them to start getting frustrated. Really frustrated. The first six losses were tough, but I think everyone was being patient, knowing that it's going to take time for this team to figure itself out after all the offseason turnover, injuries, and the rough, early season schedule of opponents.

I'd go in the locker room after games and while guys weren't exactly happy, they weren't depressed either.

Yesterday was a little different though. The locker room cleared out FAST after the game. Tempers were short, emotions high.

That was what guys in the NBA call a ``bad loss.'' Teams have them all the time, and you can survive with five or six of them in a season. You just have a lot less room for error after a 0-6 start.

As for whether there is a rift between Baron and coach, I have to say, I really haven't seen anything major. If anything, I think each guy has gone out of his way to make the arrangement work. Though it should be noted that Mike and Baron do have pretty different styles.

Coach is constantly complimenting Baron's abilities, attitude and leadership. He recognizes that Baron is the face of his franchise for the next five years, and it's way too early for him to risk alienating him.

Baron has never openly vented to any of the regular beat reporters about any frustrations with Dunleavy, though he does acknowledge all the time that it's taking a while for this team to develop an identity and flow.

After the game, Davis downplayed the notion of a rift between himself and Dunleavy. Essentially he acknowledged some stylistic issues, but saying that it was something they were working on and that he was wiling to keep trying.

``It's definitely a challenge, but at the same time it's something I'm willing to continue to grasp,'' Davis said. ``This is a different system than where I came from. I just have to continue to study and make sure I continue to do what he wants me to do out there as a point guard.''

I asked a few guys in the locker room about the situation, just to get a gauge on things and most said any frustrations were just with the situation the team is in.

Said Ricky Davis, who is one of Baron's closer friends on the team, ``I think it's just the way we started. Starting the way we started is bad,'' Ricky Davis said.

``When you lose (six) in a row, if anybody is happy they're in the wrong profession. Everybody's mad because everybody wants to win. There's a lot on coaches' plate, there's a lot on Baron's plate. But I think we're fine.''

So here's my read on it. Everyone's frustrated. Everyone is trying to fix it and figure it out.

It's especially hard on Baron, because he's not yet playing at the level he knows he can and a big reason for that is because he and the rest of the team are still learning each others moves and Dunleavy's system.

But Baron has a compelling interest in making this work. This is his hometown. He doesn't want to get a bad reputation on his home turf. Nor does he want to lose a lot.

But eight games into the season is way to early to start throwing in the towel, pointing fingers or casting blame. If we're having the same conversation in February, then things might get juicy.

Just got back from the locker room where we confirmed that Tim Thomas WILL play tonight. He's on limited minutes, probably in the 20-25 range, but said he was able to play more than that if it's necessary.

Starting lineups for tonight are:

CLIPPERS
Al Thornton
Marcus Camby
Chris Kaman
Cuttino Mobley
Baron Davis

Inactives: DeAndre Jordan, Steve Novak

KINGS
Jason Thompson
Mikki Moore
Brad Miller
John Salmons
Beno Udrih

Inactives: Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia

Marcus Camby is the kind of guy basketball types say has a high basketball IQ. He picks things up pretty quickly, understands things without being told and has an instinctual feel for the game.

Coming over to the Clippers and learning the new system has taken a little time though.

``I'm just getting familiar. Mike has a lot of plays,'' Camby said, with a little laugh. ``I'm just trying to get the terminology down, the color schemes. Like (one color) and (another color), they were like (a different color) when I was in Denver. Sometimes I get up the court and I'm saying Denver's terminology.

``I think I know about 90 percent. It's just about the terminology. I can walk though it, but talking it and saying it is a little different.''

So how did Chris Kaman feel about the trade rumors floating around this morning? Here's the story I just filed, which includes one of the funniest quotes I've ever see right up at the top:

Truth be told, Chris Kaman and the internet really don't go together. Once a week or so, he checks his Yahoo! email account and that's about it. He's not much for television either.

``I'm into other stuff, shooting my bow and arrow around in my backyard, flying helicopters around,'' Kaman said. ``I just do stupid stuff you wouldn't think I'd be doing, but I'm the one doing it.''

But even with the self-imposed wall filtering out the media, Kaman was still well-aprised of the report in Tuesday's New York Post mentioning him as a ``centerpiece'' to a deal the Clippers discussed recently with the Charlotte Bobcats.

``Yeah, my buddy told me about that,'' Kaman said after practice on Tuesday. ``One of my boys that lives with me and works for me, he's the one I get all my info from.

``I don't know how much of it is true, but I don't care. ... I enjoy playing here and hope I can stay here for a while But if there are other plans, that's OK. If you don't look at it like a business, you're going to be offended too easily.''

According to Clippers coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy, Kaman really doesn't have anything to worry about.

The Clippers did have a brief talk with the Bobcats involving Kaman, but the discussion died rather quickly, Dunleavy said.

``Everybody who understands the NBA understands it's a dance,'' Dunleavy said. ``This one started out by somebody saying I like your guy. ... (and being informed) Oh, you don't want to dance with me?

``So they got the rejection and then they threw it out (to the press), `Hey I almost had a dance with somebody.' ''

In other words: Charlotte called, said they liked Kaman, the Clippers listened --as NBA teams always do --and asked what the Bobcats would offer in return. They didn't really like any of the pieces the Bobcats had or could offer, and the talks died.

Would the Clippers ever entertain trading Kaman? Sure, but it would take a lot.
As one source close to the team source said, ``A 7-footer who can rebound, defend, score and block shots, who comes at a good price? Those guys don't get traded very often because there are very few around. If you were to trade one, it'd be hard to replace.''

The Clippers aren't looking to make any deals until the team starts to come together around new point guard Baron Davis. After 15 or 20 games, when it becomes more clear what's working and what's not, they might be more open to such discussions, if there was something they felt they needed.

Kaman, it seems, isn't too worried about his future with the club. The 26-year old center has four years and $43 million remaining on his contract with the team and has established himself as a solid double-double guy.

``I don't think they want to trade me,'' he said. ``I just think people propose stuff and you can look at it all you want and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If it does, it does.''

Forward Tim Thomas said Tuesday that he is sufficiently healed from the sprained left ankle which kept him out of Sunday's game against the Mavericks and expects to be ready for tonight's game against Sacramento.

``It's up to Mike. Whatever he needs,'' Thomas said. ``I got a little soreness, but it's nothing that's going to hold me back.''

Dunleavy wasn't as optimistic, hedging Thomas' status after practice by saying that ``If he doesn't play (Wednesday) then definitely by Saturday.''

There was quite a buzz around Clippers camp this morning regarding a report out of New York linking the Clippers to trade talks with the Charlotte Bobcats. According the report, Charlotte and the Clippers had discussed a trade involving Chris Kaman, but that ``Charlotte has no one of consequence Los Angeles desires. (Gerald) Wallace has no appeal.''

It's very easy for that kind of thing to be repeated as a Chris Kaman for Gerald Wallace deal, which would be inaccurate. But that's not what the author wrote. What he wrote is actually fairly accurate.

The real story is that Charlotte called, said they liked Kaman, the Clippers listened --as NBA teams always do --and asked what the Bobcats would offer in return. They didn't really like any of the pieces the Bobcats had or could offer, and the talks died.

Or, as coach and GM Mike Dunleavy put it:

``Everybody who understands the NBA understands it's a dance. Somebody calls somebody: `Hey, how are you?' .. `I'm doing good, how you doing?' .. `Hey look, you guys interested in doing anything?' ... `Yeah, of course I'm interested, what are you doing?' ... `Here are the guys on your team I like. Who are the guys on my team you like?'

``That's how the dance begins. Well, if anybody's name pops up off of somebody's ``likes' list'' that are mutual, then you start get a little bit closer on your dancing. You start with with your freestyle and all of sudden it's cheek-to-cheek. That's the way deals get done.

``This one started out by somebody saying I like your guy, oh, you don't want to dance with me? They got the rejection and they threw it out, `Hey I almost had a dance with somebody.' ''

Would the Clippers ever entertain trading Kaman? Sure, but it would take a lot. As one team source told me, ``A 7-footer who can rebound, defend, score and block shots who comes at a good price? Those guys don't get traded very often because there are very few around. If you were to trade one, it'd be hard to replace.''

Also, the Clippers aren't really looking to make any deals until the team starts to come together around Baron Davis. After 15 or 20 games, when it becomes more clear what's working and what's not, they might be more open to such discussions, or dancing ``cheek-to-cheek.''

What has Ricky Davis done to deserve playing time over Eric Gordon?

Ricky has a proven track record of scoring 14.3 points a game. He's also a solid defender and ball-handler. Being a popular, well-respected locker room guy doesn't hurt either.

Are Dunleavy's offensive sets designed to continually eat up the shot clock? The Clippers must have the highest shot clock violations in the league! Is that a stat you can look up?

The Clippers have made a commitment to running this year. Dunleavy, the players, the assistants, they all talk about it. It just hasn't happened consistently yet, for a number of reasons.

The other thing is, when Kaman is in the game, it's very hard not to just go to him in the low post frequently, meaning the Clippers are running half-court sets.

As for Baron's shoes. I wish I had an answer for ya. As soon as I get word I'll pass it along.

I remember reading on DeAndre's very enjoyable blog that the Clips start out practices with yoga, and stretching. I've been doing yoga myself for decades, and find it wonderful (or else I might have stopped by now), but I recently read that 'static stretches' are now passe'. Now trainers are having guys walks like spiders, and swing their legs like scorpions.
I know Jasen Powell's busy keeping Camby and Davis active, but can you ask him about these techniques, and if he is using them, or planning to?

I've seen a lot of the guys doing yoga this year. Tim Thomas and Al Thornton seem to do it a lot. I think Baron and Camby do too, though I haven't seen them do it as much. Baron seems to favor bike workouts and weights. Marcus has taken a liking to the underwater treadmill the team has at its new facility.

I didn't ask Jasen directly about the static vs. active stretching. He's usually pretty busy with the guys. But I have definitely noticed some of the guys trying it out.

As for yoga in general, I myself am a big fan. I catch a class out at the Yoga Loft on Ventura Blvd. or Inner Power Yoga in Calabasas whenever I can. Find that it saves quite a few trips to the chiropractor. Just don't ask me to do Warrior III any time soon.

Sorry to take a while with this one. Lots of basketball to cover over the weekend...

Here ya go:

Why don't we see Gordon get more minutes? He and the team as a whole could really benefit by being in the back court with Baron. Plus, we've seen Mobley & Ricky Davis struggle, so why doesn't Dunleavy try to see if the rookie can get something going. He brings scoring and we could use that when up against these 22-0, 18-0, etc. runs from the other teams. Plus, Mobley and a few other players seem to be logging too many minutes and are running out of gas.
What's up with Ricky? He's been really struggling to find his shot.

I definitely think Eric is going to play a lot more minutes. It'll kind of be a match-up thing though. Coach Dunleavy wants to put Gordon in situations where he can be successful, in order to build his confidence. I think the Clippers tough early season schedule played a big role in Dunleavy's choice not to play Gordon as much. He's a rookie trying to learn the league and could get a rude awakening if you throw him out against Kobe Bryant or Allen Iverson right away.

His minutes will likely come at the expense of Ricky and/or Cat. Again, I think it will depend on matchups and how the game is going. Ricky has started slow, but is showing signs of picking it up and Dunleavy still has a lot of confidence in him.

Oh I've got another one based on your last post on Baron. When does Baron's shoe come out and can we get it in the US?

I tried e-mailing the PR company about this one but haven't heard back. Baron is already wearing Li-Ning shoes so you can check them out now. A couple weeks ago I saw him visiting with a bunch of product designers, talking about his shoe and discussing options, so it seems he's very involved.

Here's a link to the press release if you want more info:

Why is Tim Thomas still on the roster?

Well, the smart-aleck answer is because he's under contract for two more seasons. But I suspect what you're implying is some frustration with Tim's game and/or propensity for injury. The injury part is hard to explain. Some guys just tend to get hurt more than others. The game part, well, Tim was the team's second-leading scorer before he got hurt. He's struggled with his conditioning, which makes him struggle defensively, but it seemed like he was working himself into better shape before this latest ankle injury.

Before there could be pride, there apparently had to be penance.

There were all sorts of reasons the Clippers had lost their first six games of this new season. Injuries, the NBA schedule makers, a strange penchant for long stretches of narcolepsy late in games, and a constant parade of the Western Conference's top teams and players coming through the Staples Center doors.

``We've been losing and making a lot of excuses,'' Clippers point guard Baron Davis said. ``And tonight was the night that guys just said, `my bad,' and pushed forward.''

Or, more succinctly, Sunday was the day the Clippers got off the schneid.

Davis had 22 points and 10 assists to lead the Clippers to their first win of the season, a 103-92 victory over Dallas Sunday afternoon at Staples Center, snapping their six-game losing streak to the Mavericks.

``Getting that monkey off our back, it feels real good,'' said Clippers forward Marcus Camby, who finished with nine points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in 31 minutes, his longest playing time of the season.

``We just kept feeling we were right there, we were always into the ball-game with these so-called elite teams and just weren't able to get over the hump.''

The Clippers got there on Sunday with a little extra push from their bench, which had been virtually non-existent in the first six games. Rookie Eric Gordon was very productive in his career-high 29 minutes, scoring 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting. He made three of the four, 3-point shots he took.

Reserve forward Paul Davis, inactive just two nights earlier in the Clippers' loss to Houston, had 10 points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of work. Ricky Davis chipped in five points and one very large takedown of Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki at the end of the third quarter. He was assessed a technical foul, costing the Clippers a free throw shot, but the message had been delivered.

``Unfortunately he got subbed right after that,'' Camby joked. ``But it was a big play, kind of let Dallas know we were going to fight to get this win.''

After living in a fairly dark, depressing space for the first two weeks of the season, the Clippers finally got into the win column and the sense of relief in the locker room was palpable.

Thornton, who got into foul trouble and played just 4:37 in the first half, seemed to channel all of his frustrations from the losing streak into a virtuoso second half as he poured in 14 of his 17 points after halftime.

```It's been hell. I mean, I've never lost this many games (at the start of a season) in anything,'' Thornton said of the 0-6 start. ``I didn't really want to do anything but sit home and watch the games. I turned my phone off. My girlfriend can't get in touch with me.

``So now I guess I'm going to talk to her a little bit more.''

He can also cut his hair.

``I wasn't going to cut it until we got a win,'' Thornton joked. ``So thankfully I can cut it now, freshen up my look.''

Apparently, the guys who start the game off with their warmups on over their uniforms can do something. The Clippers bench --which has been anemic this season -- has outscored the Mavericks bench 23-6 in the first half. Not coincidentally, the Clippers lead 47-45. The lead probably should be larger, but 12 first half Clipper turnovers have kept the Mavs close.

Just thought you all might be interested in reading the latest in Mark Heisler's always witty and entertaining letters to Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

Heis' advice, in a nutshell, is to ``Do Nothing.''

Let the starters keep playing, swallow the 0-6 or however big the number at the end of that might become and hold off on any judgements, big moves, tirades or rash decisions.

Tim Thomas (sprained left ankle) is doubtful for Sunday's game against Dallas. He is listed as day-to-day.

So the Clippers are 0-6 to start this season, and while it's not time to push the panic button just yet, it was good enough reason to have some fun with coach Mike Dunleavy before the game and quiz him on a bit of Clippers trivia.

I asked him rather casually for an update on Sophocles ``Baby Shaq'' Schortsanitis, the Greek center the Clippers drafted in the second round back in 2003 who has yet to sign with the club, but made him pronounce the name.

Dunleavy, always a stickler for detail, nailed it, then proceeded to fill us in on Big Sofo's long history with the club.

``We tried a couple years ago to sign him, I thought we had a deal and then his Greek shipping magnate came back and made him a better deal,'' Dunleavy said. ``The amount of money he can make here isn't the amount of money he can make there, but if he plays well over here he can make more than he makes over there.''

Schortsanitis is currently playing for the Greek club, Olimpiacos. His teammate is former Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Childress. ESPN's Mark Schwartz has a nice piece on how all that is going.

As for Schortsanitis (see, now I've typed it three times fast), Dunleavy said the Clippers would still have interest in signing him, but under one condition.

A very big condition.

``He knows how to play, he's a good player,'' Dunleavy said. ``His big thing is his weight. He's huge. When he's slim, and that means like 325, he's like quick as a cat.

``He's on the way down, but at one point last year he was like 400. ...When I first saw him he needed to lose 100 pounds before I'd even think about bringing him over. Then he lost like 75 or 80 pounds and I was like, `OK I want you. I think you can help us.'

``I went and watched him over in Treviso, I watched him for literally no more than 10 minutes and said, `It's over, Done, We'll bring you. He was that good at that point.''

He was also trim and quick though.

``Then he goes back, and I don't know how you would do this? But the guy that helped him lose all his weight ... well, they (Olimpiacos) say `We've got our own people.' And he's back at 400. He's on the way down, but at one point last year he was like 400.''

And Schortsanitis is, umm, schorter than you might think.

``He's like 6-8,'' Dunleavy said. ``If he was seven feet he would've been here a long time ago.''

To add injury to insult, the Clippers will likely be without power forward Tim Thomas for at least a week after Thomas rolled his left ankle late in the first quarter.

Asked after the game if it was serious, Dunleavy said, ``Not really, but still probably a week plus.''

Thomas had been averaging 14.6 points a game in his first five games, second only to second-year forward Al Thornton's 16.8 points a game.

With Marcus Camby still working his way back and on controlled minutes, and Paul Davis on the inactive list for the game, that left Brian Skinner to fill the power forward role for almost 21 minutes. Skinner had played only 27 minutes in the previous five games.

Tim Thomas sprained his left ankle at the end of the first quarter and had to be helped off the court. I'll post an update on his status as soon as I get it, but judging by the way he left the court, I'd be pretty surprised if he returned to the game.

UPDATE: Just got official word that Thomas will not return to tonight's game. X-rays on his ankle were negative.

CLIPPERS
Al Thornton
Marcus Camby
Chris Kaman
Cuttino Mobley
Baron Davis

Inactives: DeAndre Jordan, Paul Davis

ROCKETS
Ron Artest
Luis Scola
Yao Ming
Tracy McGrady
Rafer Alston

Inactives: Shane Battier, Steve Francis

Here's the first set of answers...

- How would you characterize the team chemistry off the court? Do the guys get along well?

- Is the team discouraged?

One thing you don't have to worry about is the team chemistry. From my dealings with the team, their mood before and after games, and just my sense of how much they hang out off the court, it seems this year's Clippers are pretty tight. A lot of the guys are family men, so they spend most of their time with their wives and children.

But here are my impressions of the guys and the roles they play on the team. Marcus Camby is everyone's big brother. Cuttino Mobley is everyone's fun older brother. Yesterday Eric Gordon said that Mobley was ``the funniest guy on the team,'' which kind of suprised me since Cat generally comes off as the wise elder in his dealings with us.

Baron Davis and Ricky Davis have know each other forever. Ditto for Baron and Jason Hart, who played Pop Warner football together.

Al Thornton is pretty quiet, but has come out of his shell a lot this year and is quietly developing into a respected voice in the locker room.

Tim Thomas and Steve Novak are great guys to deal with. The kind of guys who like hanging in the locker room, talk to everyone and have enough humility to take responsibility for their mistakes.

The rookies are flat out hilarious. Everyone picks on Mike Taylor for being too skinny, on Eric Gordon because they call him ``The Hobbit'' and DeAndre Jordan for being a total goofy kid.

Why don't we see Gordon get more minutes? He and the team as a whole could really benefit by being in the back court with Baron. Plus, we've seen Mobley & Ricky Davis struggle, so why doesn't Dunleavy try to see if the rookie can get something going. He brings scoring and we could use that when up against these 22-0, 18-0, etc. runs from the other teams. Plus, Mobley and a few other players seem to be logging too many minutes and are running out of gas.

What's up with Ricky? He's been really struggling to find his shot.

I wrote a story in today's paper dealing with exactly this issue. Basically, Gordon's time will come, but five games in isn't time to push the panic button. He's got two veterans ahead of him and Dunleavy would like to give them a chance to get rolling before making the move to Gordon. Playing Gordon in favor of Ricky or Cat right now would really upset team chemistry, since both Ricky and Cat are well-respected players and personalities. Also, each has a long enough track record to be given some time to figure it out and get going.

Gordon, while a prolific scorer, still needs to work on his team defense. He can improve on recognizing coverages, sets, etc. He admitted as much in my story.

That said, if Ricky doesn't get it going soon, say in 5 or 10 more games, Gordon will get his shot sooner rather than later. Ricky is a guy who plays well with the ball in his hands, and the offense flowing through him. That hasn't happened yet this year, which is why he's struggled to find his rhythm. But he's mentioned the last few days that he's feeling more comfortable and will be more aggressive.

Ask away! I'll try to get to as many as I can over the weekend. I missed a few of you guys last week but will try and get to them this weekend.

Try and get questions in by 2 p.m. on Friday.

--R

Clippers guard Baron Davis has signed an endorsement deal with the Chinese company LI-NING, which is named for the Chinese gymnast who famously walked on the walls of the Bird's Nest Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

Davis is the third NBA star to partner with the brand. Former Miami guard Damon Jones was the first, Phoenix center Shaquille O'Neal signed on in 2006. Davis will have a signature shoe, and athletic products, which he will travel to China to promote.

Before the game, coach Dunleavy mentioned that he was going to limit the minutes of both Marcus Camby and Baron Davis a bit, depending on how they felt and how the game was going.

``We've run out of gas. I've got to figure a way around that, maybe shorter stints minutes wise,'' Dunleavy said. ``You can't trust players. You ask a guy, `How do you feel?' and next thing you know they just drop off a cliff.

``The meaning is good, the intention is good, but they just don't know themselves, they want to stay out there. So you just have to know your guys.''

When Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy pencils Jason Hart's name into the starting lineup or sends the dependable eight-year veteran into the game, he's got a pretty good idea of what to expect.

``Jason is solid, he defends and runs your team,'' Dunleavy said.

But with the Clippers starting off the season losing their first four games, maybe ``solid'' isn't what the team needs. And so before the Clippers game against the Jazz on Monday night, Dunleavy decided to shake things up, elevating explosive rookie point guard Mike Taylor ahead of Hart on the depth chart.

``Mike at times is explosive,'' Dunleavy said. `` ``He had a really good preseason for us. With his quickness, defensively and his ability to put points on the board, transition wise, it was a little bit more what we needed right now.

``If he doesn't show that ability, then the next guy goes again, Jason gets another shot at doing what he can do.''

In doing so, Dunleavy said he'll have to live with Taylor's growing pains.

``He's a rookie, there's going to be ups and downs. What i'm going to do with him is try to keep his confidence up,'' Dunleavy said. ``The first thing that is undeniable though, and you can ask any player on our team, (Taylor's) energy and his ethic has been tremendous. Whatever happens, if it's not good, it's not because he wasn't trying.''

Same old same old for the Lakers, but Baron Davis will start for the Clippers tonight.

We're still waiting on word about Marcus Camby. Before the game, coach Dunleavy said he'll determine whether Camby will start right before tip-off.

Marcus Camby's mind was focused elsewhere Monday night. After essentially a month on the shelf, Camby made his Clippers debut in a 89-73 loss to the Jazz Monday.

But just as he tried to move on with his new club, his old team, the Denver Nuggets, made a blockbuster move, trading guard Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb.

``I'm kind of surprised it happened but after what happened to me nothing surprises me no more,'' Camby said. ``But honestly we're 0-4 right now. All my focus is on this organization. We've got a great coach and a great team over here. Whatever happens over there happens. I got enough on my plate right now.''

A couple minutes later though, Camby opened up some more about the situation.

``I heard about it last night. My phone and e-mail was ringing off the hook,'' he said. ``Today I had a chance to talk to Allen. He was already pretty upset when they traded me. His whole reason to come to Denver was to play with me and Melo and now he's not in that situation.

``But I think it's a win-win for both teams. Detroit's a good team. And I think Denver got a good player in Chauncey Billups, someone whose played there.''

Iverson, Camby said, was surprised by the trade.

``He was surprised. Just surprised. Similar to me, he thought he was going to be in Denver for a long time and finish out his career but we both know this is the nature of the business,'' Camby said.

Camby also spoke with Denver's Carmelo Anthony.

``He was just not knowing what was really going on. He's the franchise player and I'm pretty sure it caught him off guard,'' Camby said. ``At least he should know what is going on in the organization because the franchise is built around him.''

Big news out of pregame is that rookie Mike Taylor is going to start tonight.

Baron Davis is active and could play, though it's still a longshot.

Marcus Camby will play, but only about 15-20 minutes.

Marcus Camby (bruised heel) will be listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Jazz, while Baron Davis is doubtful. Davis (bruised hip) did not travel with the team to Utah and did not practice on Sunday, but did rehab work on the side and is said to be improving daily.

If I were guessing, I'd say both are in the lineup Wednesday versus the Lakers. Camby has a chance of playing Monday, but don't expect much since he's been out for so long.