Undoubtedly, the Elton Brand Saga was just the latest nightmare.
Just last week, free agent All-Star point guard Baron Davis shocked many people when he opted out of the $17.8 million final year of his contract with the Golden State Warriors, and agreed to a five-year, $65 million with his hometown Clippers. It was more than going home; it was about being closer to his future in the movie industry, and the tacit excitement of Davis and Brand bonding on and off the floor.
All that had to happen was for Brand to accept the five-year offer from the Clippers after opting out of his deal, and they'd be together. With all the excitement in the air, there were even rumblings out of fellow Clippers free agent Corey Maggette's camp that he might consider sticking around. Considering the growth of rookie forward Al Thornton and the drafting of talented young guard Eric Gordon, there were plenty of reasons for optimism to be flowing.
Except we're talking about the Clippers.
Well, Wednesday Brand has signed a five-year, $82 million contract with Philadelphia, Maggette is bound for the Warriors for $50 million over five years, and Davis still hasn't signed his implied agreement. Sure, the Clippers could turn their gaze to the Atlanta Hawks multi-talented young restricted free agent Josh Smith now that the Sixers shocked themselves by signing Brand. Despite his awe-inspiring talent, Smith remains a big gamble considering his attitude problems before last season. Even the Hawks' Keystone Cops ownership isn't likely to let him go without matching the offer.
Yep, only the Clippers could fall this flat under these circumstances.
Too bad for coach Mike Dunleavy, who has done everything humanly possible to stabilize what has been a horrible franchise since Donald Sterling bought the San Diego Clippers in 1981 and three years later moved them to Los Angeles. They got to within one game of the conference finals in 2006, and there seems to be little doubt that will be the highlight of the Dunleavy era with the Clippers, and maybe the furthest any coach ever will take this franchise. Keep in mind at five years and counting, Dunleavy already has a longer tenure than any coach dating back to the founding of the franchise in Buffalo in 1970.
There are those who believe it's simply bad karma from Sterling, who for years was the penny-pinching gazillionaire real estate mogul. In his 27 years as owner, the Clips have been in the playoffs exactly four times, and Dunleavy is the only coach to take them out of the first round. Sterling did alter his ways to attract Dunleavy, and matched big offer sheets thrown at Brand and Maggette the last time around. He even gave Dunleavy a huge extension in 2006. Still, they had their first major blowup last season, and most believe if he didn't owe Dunleavy so much money, Sterling would have dumped him on the spot. Nonetheless, Sterling was willing to spend in this case, and they were looking like a solid playoff team — even without Maggette.
And then they got Falked ... as in David Falk, super agent for Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, et al who vanished for a few years and is now back wielding his mighty sword. Sure, the Sixers gave Brand more money and have a bright future of their own with former Clipper Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young coming off a good rookie year in the timid Eastern Conference. Moreover, Brand's within a reasonable drive of his home and family in upstate New York.
But this isn't just any old schlep breaking his word. We're talking Elton Brand here. Brand just happens to be in the select crew of Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan as the only active players in the career 20-and-10 club. Plus, he's an A-plus guy in the locker room and the community. That's why it's so shocking that this guy went back on his word after a career as one of the good guys. The difference in money just couldn't have been the issue.
That's why you can smell Falk at the bottom of this, particularly after an impatient Dunleavy reportedly dodged Falk last week and went straight to Brand. Evidently, things broke down from there and Brand bolted for Philly
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| Agent David Falk may have played a part in Elton Brand's dissing of the Clips. (Garrett Ellwood / Getty Images) |
Thus, the whole situation became Clipperized, and Dunleavy will suffer the consequences. He still has a fine young 7-foot center in Chris Kaman, Thornton, Gordon, presumably Davis as his point guard and aging gunner Cuttino Mobley at shooting guard. He's seemingly lost point guard Shaun Livingston, who looked to have a spectacular future during their playoff run only to suffer a horrendous knee injury in February of 2007. He hasn't played since, and at 23, they didn't even make him a qualifying offer.
Aside from bizarre front office dealings, stars suffering career-changing injuries have also hit the Clippers at a disproportionate rate. Consider the team they had put together in 1989-90 with Danny Manning after they virtually stole Ron Harper from Cleveland for the ludicrously overrated Danny Ferry. At the time, Harper was comparable to Clyde Drexler as a dynamic shooting guard just a notch below Jordan. Harper played 28 games for the Clippers before tearing his ACL, never regaining the superior athleticism and having to reinvent his game as a defensive-minded role player (that got him five championship rings). Harper and Manning, who also suffered the dreaded ACL tear, did make it to the playoffs in 1992 and 1993 with Larry Brown as coach, but the die had been cast with both and the franchise.
Before Harper, Norm Nixon, Marques Johnson and Bill Walton also suffered similar fates with career-altering injuries. And don't forget that Brand tore his Achilles last summer and didn't play last season until the final eight games.
So this is where they are today ... again. Just when they seemed primed as never before to get back into the race, the Clippers found themselves hopelessly treading water in the deep end of the pool with no life preserver in sight.
Not even Michael Phelps can save them at this point.
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