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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

He has been disappointed in the way the Clippers are playing at the start of this season, but never like this.

``I don't know what's going on or what to say,'' the second-year forward said after the Clippers 121-103 loss to the Golden State Warriors Saturday afternoon at Staples center.

``I think there are some cracks (in the team). Maybe it might be with the character or the drive. You can see it in the play. There's a lot of issues right now. I hate it for the fans.

``To me, it's real basic: Are guys motivated or not? You got to look yourself in the mirror.''

In other words, now this 1-8 start to the season is beginning to hurt.

``You want to start pointing fingers,'' Clippers center Chris Kaman said. ``But there's no one to start pointing fingers at except yourself and everybody's got to come together, dig down and work harder.''

Saturday's game was billed as a reunion between Corey Maggette and the Clippers and Baron Davis and the Warriors. The two traded places over the summer during one of the wildest off-seasons in recent memory. Saturday was their first meeting of the season.

Maggette had 17 points, five rebounds and three assists despite getting into early foul trouble. Davis had 25 points, 11 assists and three steals.

But an undrafted rookie from Georgia Tech by the name of Anthony Morrow stole the show from everyone, scoring an astounding 37 points on 15-of-20 shooting.

``It's just a feeling I had,'' Golden State coach Don Nelson said of the decision to start Morrow on Saturday. ``This is one of the most exciting things I can remember in a long, long time. I've been in the league 30 years I've never seen a performance like that from a guy that got his first opportunity, really. He had the game of a lifetime.''

Over in the Clippers locker room though, they were more concerned about their own problems. It was hard to say which aspect of their play was less inspiring: at the offensive end where they resorted to shooting 26, 3-pointers (making only six of them) when their stagnant offense broke down and ended up 39 percent from the field; or on defense where they allowed a player to score 30-plus points on them for the third straight game?

``We have to get off to better starts, stop digging ourselves in the hole,'' Baron Davis said. ``I think there are times we're out there playing with uncertainty and you can't be effective that way. I think chemistry is important. Right now that's something we really have to concentrate and work hard on. ...We're still looking for that rhythm out there, that flow.''

But most of all, they're looking for answers.

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."

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.

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

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.''