Down But Not and Out

(Originally posted on LAist on February 27)

As if the Clippers haven’t had enough challenges this season, the team was thrown another obstacle when Shaun Livingston went down with a dislocated knee cap during the first quarter of the Clips’ 100-93 win over Charlotte.

Livingston was going up for a layup and landed awkwardly on his left leg, causing a hush to fall over the Staples Center crowd as he was helped off the floor on a stretcher. If you happened to see the replay, you’ll understand how serious the injury is. Livingston will miss the rest of the regular season, though hopefully the injury will not have more long-term ramifications on his career.
Update: Livingston tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL and will require surgery, facing a lengthy rehabilitation of a minimum of a year. Sadly, his career may be in jeopardy.

Since Livingston’s arrival in LA three years ago straight out of Peoria Central High, Clipper Nation has salivated over his combination of size (6’7”), speed, and court vision, dreaming of a point guard that could completely control a game at both ends of the court for many years.

However, like many other Clipper draft picks before him, Livingston’s career has been more notable for its inconsistency and injury than fulfilled potential. He missed 39 games due to a dislocated right knee injury and 13 games with a shoulder injury during his rookie year, then 21 games last year with a stress reaction in his back. All the more frustrating, Clipper brass has refused to include him in any trade discussions for marquee players because of his promise, despite the fact that he’s spent as much time in a suit on the bench as in uniform.

Livingston’s injury comes on the heels of one of his finest performances of the year, a 14 point, 14 assist game against fellow playoff contender Golden St., in which he repeatedly attacked the Warriors’ porous defense in transition to help secure an easy victory for the team. With the aging Sam Cassell continually hampered by various ailments (currently nursing an abdominal injury), the Clippers were resting their playoff hopes on Livingston’s ability to play big minutes and run the offense. Now, in these final 26 games, Cassell will have to play through as much pain as he can, while seldom-used second-year player Daniel Ewing is going to get the call to play significant minutes off the bench.

The Clippers have been constantly criticized in this space for playing with a notable lack of intensity and effort this year, so it will be interesting to see whether the team rallies together and responds to adversity to find their way into the playoffs, or whether they continue to mail it in and fall out of the race. While it is true that the entire Clippers’ roster has been in flux throughout the season due to repeated injuries and illnesses, this is the first injury which will cause an extended absence. All they have to do is look across Staples at the Lakers to see a team still fighting in spite of numerous injuries to many of its key players (Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Kwame Brown, Vlad Radmanovic). That being said, hopefully the Clips won’t have any players that are as clumsy on a snowboard as the aforementioned Vlad.

In other team news, the trade deadline passed and Corey Maggette remained a Clipper. Despite the never-ending feud between Maggette and Mike Dunleavy, the coach finally relented and put Maggette in the starting lineup. Maggette has responded by averaging nearly 21 points a game over the last week and even playing a little bit of defense. Dunleavy likes having Maggette being a primary scoring option with the second unit, but with the Clippers’ already lean rotation losing Livingston, Dunleavy has little choice but to extend his minutes and keep him as a starter.

The Clippers’ win over the Bobcats elevated them into a tie with the Hornets for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. The Clips play a home and home with Seattle on Wednesday and Thursday, then finish the week with a visit from Indiana on Saturday.

AP photo by Chris Pizzello

The CW (Clipper Weekly), All-Star Edition

(Originally posted on LAist on February 20)

Current Record: 25-28, 3rd Pacific, T-9th West

Last Week:

While the rest of the league was focused on the festivities in Sin City, the Clippers got a much needed four days off to regroup. The Clips were one of only three teams that had exactly zero participants in the entire weekend’s festivities (and justifiably so) which means they will not be suffering from any lingering effects of the around-the-clock drunken parties and hookups with tainted groupies and assorted golddiggers promotion of the league that occurs over All-Star weekend.

In terms of actual games, Elton Brand missed both of them with back spasms, and not surprisingly the Clippers lost both of them: a butt-whupping at Detroit to finish the road trip, and a Valentine’s stinker at home against Atlanta. As a result, LA fell temporarily back out of the playoff picture. Cuttino Mobley was the only Clipper who played well, scoring a season-high 31 points against Atlanta, but then injured his groin in the fourth quarter when the Hawks made their big comeback. Yes, it’s business as usual in Clipper Nation.

Quick Take:

With the All-Star game out of the way, it’s officially crunch time: 29 games to go. Currently, the Clips are one of five teams within two and a half games of the last two playoff spots – Denver is holding the number seven position at 26-25, with Minnesota in eighth at 25-27, the Clippers and New Orleans/Oklahoma City at 25-28, and Golden St. at 25-29. The Nuggets figure to play better once Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony actually get on the court at the same time. The Hornets are surging now that they’ve gotten Chris Paul and David West back from injury, with Peja Stojakovic possibly returning in March. In other words, it’s going to take a lot better than .500 ball the rest of the way to get in.

The Clips still have two games left each with the Warriors and the Hornets, as well as another game with the Nuggets, so they have the opportunity to help themselves out. However, they also have several games against the class of the NBA (Dallas, Phoenix (2), Utah, San Antonio (2), Houston (2)), which means they need to actually win games they aren’t expected to win, which hasn’t happened at all this year. Count it off, it will take 44 wins to make the playoffs, so the Clippers have to go 19-10. Thus, the nights off that the defense takes and the no-shows that Chris Kaman and Shaun Livingston have been having can no longer be tolerated if the club wants to play past April. Maybe someone can tell Tim Thomas the team makes extra money if they make the playoffs, he might actually try for once if he knows he can get a bonus paycheck.

This Week:

Tuesday: vs. Phoenix (TNT, 7:30 pm) – the bad news for the Clips is that the extra rest enabled Phoenix to return to near full-strength, as the Suns expect reigning two-time MVP Steve Nash and Kurt Thomas back in the lineup. While Boris Diaw will still be sidelined with back spasms, having Nash back completely transforms the team: the Suns are 2-4 without him (and losers of three straight), 35-9 with him. His uncanny ability to control the pace of the game and get everyone involved is breathtaking, with the Suns scoring a mind-boggling 111.3 points per game with him in the lineup (only 106 ppg when he’s out). The teams split their first two meetings early in the year, but Amare Stoudemire was still getting his legs back then. The Clips will have to slow the tempo down and pound it inside to Brand and Kaman to have a chance, as they did last year during the playoffs.

Saturday: vs. Golden St. (KTLA-CW, 12:30 pm) – this will be the first of many critical games, with the Warriors right on the Clips’ tail in the playoff chase. The Clippers simply cannot afford to drop any home games to other playoff contenders, particularly to this Golden St. squad that has only won six road games all year (even worse than the Clips). Shooting guard Jason Richardson should be back from his fractured hand, which has sidelined him for nearly half the season. However, point guard and leading scorer Baron Davis went down last week with a knee injury and will be in street clothes recovering from surgery. The teams split their first home-and-home right as the Warriors completed their huge eight-player trade with Indiana. Thus, this will be the Clips’ first look at the Warriors' revamped roster, led by Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington. The Warriors will play a frenetic pace similar to the Suns (but not as effective), and the Clippers should likewise employ a similar slow-down, inside-out strategy, especially since Golden St. is worst in the league in rebounding margin.

AP photo by Mark J. Terrill

Be My Valentine

(Originally posted on LAist on February 14)


While happy couples enjoy themselves a nightcap after an evening of romance, single folks ruminate on the heightened sense of loneliness that Valentine’s Day seems to bring. It sucks to be single tonight.

Or does it?

Last year at this time, this LAist writer was emptying his wallet for his girlfriend on a mildly extravagant evening around Chicago. This year? Slumming around downtown LA with one of my boys, catching some quality NBA action at Staples.

Which was better? Let’s take a closer look:

Dinner: 2006 – trendy French restaurant: $120.
2007 – dogs and beer: $20.

Entertainment: 2006 – champagne and jazz club: $60.
2007 – Clippers/Hawks tickets: free.

Gifts: 2006 – flowers, card, candy, other sentimental (read: cheap) gifts: $150.
2007 – lunch for the guy who hooked me up with the tix: $10.

Time: 2006 – researching restaurants, calling florists, tracking down obscure gifts…: immeasurable.
2007 – “Yo, wanna go to the game tonight? Cool, 7:00 by the Magic statue”: 10 seconds.

Advantage: single.

As for the game, the Elton Brand-less Clips blew a 15-point second half lead and lost 96-93 to lowly Atlanta in front of a half-full Staples Center. But the Clipper Spirit delivered an A+ performance, as always.

The CW (Clipper Weekly), 12th Edition

Originally posted on February 12 on LAist



Current Record: 25-26, 3rd Pacific, 8th West

Last Week: Just when you thought it was safe to support the Clippers again, they go and turn in a series of unwatchable performances to raise up all of the questions that were seemingly answered during the team’s hot streak over the previous three weeks. Not sure if the team just doesn’t sleep well in hotel rooms, but the Clips continued their year-long habit of sleepwalking on the road in dismal losses at New York, Cleveland, and Indiana. The one “bright spot” was a one-point come-from behind win against lowly Philly, who owns the third worst record in the league. Injuries and illness to Tim Thomas (knee) and Corey Maggette (flu) certainly didn’t help matters. With the losses piling up, Maggette once again vented on his lack of playing time, deflecting attention from the fact that Chris Kaman continues to play like a stiff.

Quick Take: The good news is that the road trip, on which the Clips are 2-4, is just about over, and the Clips will not have to leave home for the rest of the month. The upcoming all-star break may help relieve some of the locker room tension (James Singleton has also been barking about playing time) and allow the team to refocus on the final thirty games. It was only a week ago when LAist was talking up the Clips’ increased proficiency on offense. Apparently, with the Clippers committed to being nothing more than average, the law of averages kicked in and the Clips decided to go back to one-on-one play instead of moving the ball. The result? Sub 40 percent shooting and less than 84 points a game. Not going to win very often that way.

This Week:

Monday: at Detroit (KTLA-CW, 4:30 pm) – the Pistons have quietly emerged as the top team in the East, winning six straight by turning up the defensive intensity, surprising since it was expected to suffer when the team acquired the gimpy Chris Webber after his buyout from the Sixers. His passing ability has helped open up the court for all-stars Rip Hamilton and Chauncey “Mr. Big Shot” Billups. The Clippers will have their hands full on the perimeter trying to match up with Tayshaun Prince’s size, Billups’ dribbling ability, and Hamilton’s constant running through screens; Maggette will get his chance to prove to Mike Dunleavy that he actually does care about defense.

Wednesday: vs. Atlanta (PRIME, 7:30 pm) – the Hawks defeated the Clippers a month ago in one of the season’s low points (and worst offensive game of the year). While the Hawks are still one of the worst teams in the league, they’ve actually been competitive for a change and are on pace for their highest win total in four years. Joe Johnson is ninth in the league in scoring and is the best of several athletic perimeter players for the Hawks. However, Atlanta has a small, lean frontcourt which is no answer for Elton Brand. If Kaman is going to find any semblance of offensive form, this would be an ideal opponent for him to regain some confidence.

AP photo by Darron Cummings

The CW (Clipper Weekly), 11th Edition

(Originally posted on February 5 on LAist)

Current Record: 24-23, 3rd Pacific, T-7th West

Last Week: The Clippers showed further signs of life, with a solid home performance over the Bulls, one of the stronger East teams, and a good win against the pathetic Celtics in Boston for their seventh victory in eight tries. However, Toronto torched the Clips defense for a season-worst 122 points, showing that the team still hasn’t quite learned how to bring a consistent effort every game. Elton Brand appears to be back in top form, averaging over 24 points and 13 rebounds last week. The Raptors game was the first time in ten games that EB didn’t lead the team in scoring; not surprisingly, the Clippers’ team success has been highly correlated to Brand’s excellence. Tim Thomas was also very active offensively, averaging 18 and 7 and shooting 8-18 from downtown. On the other hand, Chris Kaman scored a total of eight points and sixteen rebounds in 76 minutes, trying to single-handedly undermine the team’s success (maybe not, but it sure looks like it on TV).

Quick Take: Offensively, the Clippers are operating more proficiently, moving the ball and identifying open shooters or mismatches. Over the last ten games, the team is averaging 25.8 assists per game, far higher than the 21.1 that they are averaging over the course of the whole season. The Clipper guards have a tendency to overdribble which causes the offense to stagnate, but lately have been getting the ball into the post earlier in the shot clock, opening up the court for more opportunities. It’s a familiar tune, but Kaman and Shaun Livingston continue to play spotty. At least Livingston made some clutch plays down the stretch against Chicago on both sides of the ball to clinch the win; Kaman isn’t even getting minutes during crunch time now because of his ineptitude.

This Week:

Tuesday: at New York (PRIME, 4:30 pm) – coach Isiah Thomas promised to turn around the team that he built when he took over at the start of the season. He’s delivered, sort of. The Knicks have nearly equaled their win total from last season (23-59), but at 21-28, Thomas hasn’t exactly gotten a lot out of the team’s $139 million payroll that he created. The team actually has some decent young talent, with leading scorer Eddy Curry at center and top rebounder David Lee at forward. Of course, the Knicks’ highest paid player Allan Houston hasn’t actually played in two seasons, and yet the club is still paying him almost $21 million this year. Yet despite all of those boos you will be hearing from a half-empty MSG, Isiah has somehow managed to keep both of his jobs.

Wednesday: at Cleveland (PRIME, 4:00 pm) – the Cavs have been in a 4-8 funk since they walloped the Clippers last month at Staples. LeBron has been slowed by an injury to his big toe, and the rest of his team is highly dependent on him to help them get their own shots. The Clips don’t have a good defensive answer for LBJ (nor does anyone else in the league), but expect Mike Dunleavy to throw out body after body at him to disrupt his game. Corey Maggette may play a pivotal role to force James to expend significant energy on defense to reduce his effectiveness on offense.

Friday: at Philadelphia (PRIME, 4:00 pm) – since trading Allen Iverson in December, the Sixers have actually improved, going 10-15 after only 5-18 with the Answer, including 5-4 since waiving Chris Webber. The Sixers are heavily perimeter oriented, with newly acquired Andre Miller throwing lobs to the other A.I., Andre Iguodala, and kicking it out to sharpshooter Kyle Korver. The Clips should go to EB early and often, as Philly has a rotating bunch of stiffs manning the low post.

Sunday: at Indiana (no TV, 11:30 am) – like Philly, the Pacers seem to have benefited from a major midseason trade, having won six of eight since getting rid of the volatile Steven Jackson and the disappointing Al Harrington, who never quite seemed to live up to his enormous potential. The move seemed to clearly define all-star forward Jermaine O’Neal as the man in Indy, while adding a couple of complementary players (with bad contracts) in Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Troy Murphy. While the elder Dunleavy will undoubtedly know how to draw up some defenses to stop his son, he would also be prudent to contain point guard Jamaal Tinsley, who makes the Pacers extremely tough to stop when he is able to get into the key and distribute to the wing.

AP photo by Adrian Wyld

Welcome Home

(Originally posted on February 1 on LAist)

It’s a story straight out of a Disney movie.

Local college hoops star becomes an emerging star for the local pro team, falls out of favor and gets shipped away into obscurity, joins a chief rival and becomes persona non grata, begins to lose his game and is unceremoniously dropped from the league, then gets a last shot at glory with the other local team to help put them over the top, supported through thick and thin by his loyal wife and college sweetheart.

Yes, I’m talking about the immortal Doug Christie, newest member of the Clippers, who was signed yesterday to a ten-day contract. Already it seems to be paying dividends: the Clips won their first game with him in the lineup, with Christie leaving a mark during his two minutes of action.

True basketball fans remember Christie as a stud shooting guard at Pepperdine, and the supposed cornerstone of the Lakers during the post-Magic Randy Pfund era. He made his claim to fame as a member of the hated Kings when he guarded Kobe during the teams’ classic playoff battles. He’s had a solid, though not spectacular career, but has played sparingly the last two-plus seasons because of injuries until being waived by Dallas earlier this year. Known as an athletic, pesky defender with an inconsistent jumper, he can provide some veteran experience in spot minutes if he’s healthy.

But the real reason why this is at all notable is because of the, um, unique relationship that Doug has with his wife, Jackie. If you’re one of the fifteen people that has BET-J, you may have seen their reality show, Committed: The Christies. To quote from the show’s homepage:

“Doug Christie is a champion and a tough-nosed competitor who will bite, fight, scratch and claw his way to victory. At least on the court, that is! Off the court, however, his wife Jackie is the star. She is omnipresent, controlling and clearly in charge. Some would say that Doug’s “whipped”; he says he’s happy.”

If you don’t know about the history of the Christie’s relationship, here are some of the highlights:
- Doug signals to Jackie around 50 times a game, using his index finger and pinky, as a way of letting him know that he loves her
- The couple gets married every year on their anniversary -– a full wedding, not just a renewal of vows
- Doug avoids any contact with all women besides his wife
- Doug can only speak to female reporters if Jackie is present
- Jackie often travels with the team and rides in a car behind the bus, talking with Doug on the phone between the hotel and the arena
- A former Kings employee sued the team for wrongful termination, allegedly stemming from Jackie’s demand to fire her because the woman delivered a phone message to Doug
- After Doug and former Laker Rick Fox brawled during a 2002 exhibition game, Jackie jumped Fox as the two headed towards the locker room

Guys, before accusing your woman of being too clingy or possessive, just remember, you could be Doug.

AP photo by Mark J. Terrill