# Article: What does the future hold for the Clippers?



## Devestata (May 29, 2002)

Matthew Murray (devestata) www.BASKETBALLBOARDS.net Writer 

July 14, 2002

What does the future hold for the Clippers? It seems certain the Clippers organization is not good at resigning people, and Elgin Baylor has been a lotto veteran in recent years. It now seems sure that Baylor's mind has to be set on signing players such as Elton Brand, Darius Miles, Michael Olowokandi, and Quentin Richardson. With that said, where in the world will Chris Wilcox or Melvin Ely, the Clippers two first round picks in the 2002 NBA Draft ever get a chance to play? Baylor has said he drafted frontcourt because they need to hold up with the Lakers. We all have to ask this question: Is this true? My answer: Doubtful. If you are a Clipper Fan and looking to see Elton Brand or Michael Olowokandi signed, It looks like all hopes are over. I would assume Chris Wilcox and Melvin Ely would take over at the 4 and 5 now. We shall see...

It's become certain that the Clippers were heavy favorites to be the suprise team last year, and they almost pulled out a playoff berth. Let's face it, if the Clippers will be drafting good players and never sign them, how will they ever keep a team chemistry? Simple answer is: They can't, and they won't. Rumors also circulating is Baylor has told Darius Miles he will not be getting the max either. Now, who will the money be going too, you ask? The answer is, no one. I don't know if it's Baylor's mind that works weird, or is it just the Clippers do not want to win? We have to face facts here, with the Front Office they have now, no one will ever be signed to any big contract.

Chris Wilcox, and Melvin Ely will eventually end up being somewhere else, just like Derek Anderson, and all the other one year Clippers. If anything at all, you can expect to see the Clippers make another run this year, but fall short, because they will not have a stud Center like they did last year in Olowokandi. If this team doesn't turn around the direction they are in now, they will never be contenders, and Elgin Baylor will continue to be an NBA Lottery veteran.

Matthew Murray: Contact Matthew Murray: [email protected].


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## Sir I Gotta Go (Jul 7, 2002)

Doesn't the league have a soft cap? I thought you could go over the cap to resign your own players. Elgin Baylor has told Donald to give Michael Olowokandi the max. In all likelihood they will probably also max out Elton Brand. Darius Miles is still a project. I wouldnt max him out either if I was Donald.


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## Wilt_The_Stilt (Jun 7, 2002)

A little short...but good overall


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## Devestata (May 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by *Wilt_The_Stilt *
> A little short...but good overall


lol thanks...not too much to talk about right now, articles should get longer when the season starts.


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## RD (Jun 10, 2002)

Nice job writing the article, but I disagree with the content of it.

The rumor about Miles and the MAX is a stupid one(Im saying the rumor is, not you for talking about it).

A). It comes out of a NY paper, without any sort of Clipper rep quote.

B). Miles is not up for FA for another 2 years. NOBODY is even discussing a contract right now, because Miles isn't even close to getting a new one. And, we are years away from knowing if he's worth the MAX or not. Nobody in the organization is going to comment on a contract for Miles, because it's not even being discussed by his agent or anyone.

C). That article comes AFTER sterling does an interview saying he's going to pay his players. And this is the 2nd time since Miles rookie year he's done so.

D) The Clippers are the single most tight lipped organization in the NBA. Sterling and Baylor run things, and both are guys who do not give away any sort of info, even in friendly talks with reporters and such. They do a fantastic job of keeping the teams affairs within the organization. There's no way that someone in the organization talks about Miles' contract to the media, especially since a contract for Miles isnt coming up for another couple years.

And I do not like the inclusion of Derek Anderson in the article. You make it sound like the Clippers should have kept him. Anderson wanted a MAX contract. Do you think he was worth it? I certainly dont. No other team thought he was worth it either. SA gave him an exception, then Portland gave him a solid deal. Yet, people criticize the Clippers cuz they didnt pay him the MAX. What, should they just pay him double what he deserves just to get people off their backs? Certainly not. Anderson is a decent player, but is not worth the MAX, and thats what it was going to take to keep him. It was a fantastic decision to let him go.

And Melvin Ely and Chris Wilcox will have no influence on Brand and Kandi. Donald STerling AFTER drafting Wilcox, has said his plan is to give Brand a MAX contract. Sterling would not make that type of comment to the LA Times if he were not going to do it, especially since Brand can sign an extension right now. He will pay Brand.

There is such a thing as depth. Wilcox and Ely bring depth. The Clippers had depth everywhere but up front. They now add depth up front, and the get criticized. What, should they have taken an 8th swingman? If they did that, they'd be criticized for that too.

The Clippers can never win with the media. No matter what they do, they lose. They shore up the teams biggest weakness, they get criticized. They sign a 2nd round pick of 2 years ago to a contract that makes him the 2nd highest paid international rookie, and they still get criticized for never spending money and for not trading for a PG.
Everyone likes to jump on the Clips cuz they were once easy targets. Back then all the criticism was justified. Now, it's just getting ridiculous. 

Nicely written article, but I dont like the info used.


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## Devestata (May 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by *RD *
> Nice job writing the article, but I disagree with the content of it.
> 
> The rumor about Miles and the MAX is a stupid one(Im saying the rumor is, not you for talking about it).
> ...


Eh, I only use rumors I hear from inside sources (bootlegsports.com) and from other people. Everyone always seems to hear different rumors, and all these news writers like Sam Smith get a bad rep for it. I didn't know about Derek Anderson, I just used him as the example of may unsigned Clippers. BTW, IMO, I don't think Wilcox and Ely will be staying in Clipper land too long, cause they are both starters somewhere, and you say Brand is resigning, Wilcox is just too damn good to sit on the bench. I understand maybe the text I used was a little controversial, but basically all news writers articles are just there own opinion. Will have better articles when the season starts.


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## TheRifleman (May 20, 2002)

Interesting article. I also like the brevity of the article, as long-winded ones usually help me to lose interest.

With that said, I liked the reply by RD, as it was also well written.

My own personal view of the Clipper organization(I use that word loosely in conjunction with Mr. Sterling's franchise) is that Elgin *always * drafts well and Mr. Sterling, being the tight wad he is, usually will not loosen his purse strings to keep "the at least 40 good - to great players" that have slipped through the Clipper sails.

I really don't expect to see Kandi or Brand in a Clipper uniform too long.


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## SikHandlez24 (Jun 8, 2002)

*Here is your Article with corrected spelling and grammar*

Yeah that really contributes to the discussion, eh ? -DP


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## The Phoenix (Jul 12, 2002)

I'll just answer the subject question...


Hopfully resign Kandi and Bran (when the time comes)


If Odom has the kind of season everyone in the NBA (even his critics) know he is capable of, Miles may not be nessasarry.

Im not saying that I hope the Clips loose him, I just think they wont be able to keep him.


Then win a championship or 2 or even 3.


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## Living XL (Jul 15, 2002)

I won't be as nice as RD.


This article was pure, 100%, unadulterated trash.

Also, to whoever is spamming this particular "article" (I use the term loosely) can you please stop? Or at the very least, spamming it once is sufficient---there is no need to spam boards with the same drivel every day.

Thanks.


XL


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## Devestata (May 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by *Living XL *
> I won't be as nice as RD.
> 
> 
> ...


OK, you wanna tell me what's wrong here? I <b><strikeout>hate people like you</strikeout></b>

<font color=blue>* devestata, you are a moderator here, and know the protocol. People can vehemently disagree with another's opinions - but you know that you can't outright say that you hate someone on this forum, for that falls under the 'personal attack' category. Yes, he didn't like your article, and was quite blunt about that, but there was no outright name-calling there. * - Silk</font>

who come here and try and talk about what other people post, if you think you're so damn smart, why don't you post one of your own. In case you didn't see my post up there: EVERYONE HAS THERE OWN POINT OF VIEWS. NOT EVERYONE WILL HAVE THE SAME OPINION AS EVERYONE ELSE. :upset:


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## Shadows (Jun 8, 2002)

Living XL anymore posts putting down other posters opinions wont be accepted.

If you have a problem with the article, post your reasons why with supporting facts. These articles are welcomed to be debated but put some effort if you dissagree with it.

By the way great article Devestata.


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## Devestata (May 29, 2002)

Thanks, and I clearly stated on the other board I put this on that "I'm just starting out, so try and keep all comments civil" or something along those lines...


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## Sir I Gotta Go (Jul 7, 2002)

> Originally posted by *Living XL *
> I won't be as nice as RD.
> 
> 
> ...


Why you gotta act like that? And what are you talking about with the whole spamming thing?


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## RD (Jun 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by *JUNKIE *
> Living XL anymore posts putting down other posters opinions wont be accepted.
> 
> If you have a problem with the article, post your reasons why with supporting facts. These articles are welcomed to be debated but put some effort if you dissagree with it.



Now I may be missing something, but what was so wrong with his post?

He disagreed with the article. And he said why. That info used for the article(the NY paper) was written with no truth to it, and that's been proven. 

He didn't cuss or call anyone names. When people put out articles, you have to be able to take an opinion that is different from yours. He didnt call him names and didnt use vulgar language. So I dont understand the need for a 'warning.' He's free to give his opinion in any way he wants, as long as he abides by the rules, and I honestly can say that I dont see one thing he did wrong.

As for the basis of his post - He is knocking is the info used. Common sense tells you that that article devestata refers to is complete garbage. There is absolutely no truth to it, and me personally, I can't see how anyone could actually believe the article and repeat it. As I said before, common sense tells you that the article has no truth to it. No team talks about a player being worth this or that, when he's 3 years away from being a UFA. Especially a player that is 2 years removed from HS, and everyone knows they won't begin to be a star until the very end of the contract. 
That is what Living XL is bothered by - The quoting of an article that is complete garbage. And I am bothered by it too. But since Im cool with devestata and have no problems with him, I didn't have the exact same reaction. Since the article is written off of info that is obviously false, thats why he says the article is garbage. He explained why he doesn't like it.


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## RD (Jun 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by *Malakian *
> 
> 
> Why you gotta act like that? And what are you talking about with the whole spamming thing?


He's rerring to the article devestata refers to in his article. The article is garbage, and people continue to pass it around(spam) like it's truthful. And just by using your head, you can tell the article has no truth to it.


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## Shadows (Jun 8, 2002)

Maybe I was a little rough on him but that's really not a great way to post your first time here.

"This article was pure, 100%, unadulterated trash"

Reading it over I can see that he was saying referring to the article which Dev was referring to.

I appologize to you Living XL for taking your text out of context. You guys must understand that we wont be accepting any of the stuff that was happening at nbadraft.net.

I have no problem saying when I was wrong and I did over react in this situation.


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## RD (Jun 10, 2002)

There's no need to apologize to me. It's not a big deal. I know it's tough to know where to draw the line because at the old board there was no line.


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## Devestata (May 29, 2002)

Well, I didn't get that out of a New York Newspaper, I just needed something to write about, but I guess I will wait until the season starts up until there is actually something to talk about. I agree some of the article may be "garbage", but you have to agree to some extent that the history of the Clippers, there is a good chance Kandi and Brand won't be back in a Clippers uniform.


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## RD (Jun 10, 2002)

Sure, the Clippers have a bad history.

But, whats happening now is completely different.

The defections of the past have been guys who do not want to be Clippers or guys who have asked to be extremely overpaid. It hasn't really been the team just letting them go.

Now, the team has guys worth big salaries and guys that want to play in LA. It's a completely different situation.

And I do disagree that there is a good chance Brand and Kandi end up elsewhere. Could it happen? Sure. But I would not say there is a good chance of it happening.


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## klippjoint (Jul 15, 2002)

*klippjoint*

Hi folks. I thought I was banned for some unknown reason. This is a much more sophisticated system.


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## basketball_jesus (Jun 15, 2002)

I agree with RD about the whole "Clipper history" thing. There have been a few good players that the Clippers haven't re-signed because Sterling is a tight ***, but most recently the players that the Clips have gotten rid of were let go for good reasons. Take Maurice Taylor and Derek Anderson. The Clippers got a lot of flack for letting both those guys go, but they both wanted huge contracts, and what have they done sense? Taylor has been injured and is getting fatter and softer by the day, and Derek has been siting behind Bonzi in Portland. These players are not super stars and I am glad we made room for our younger players by getting rid of them. Now comes the point in time where Sterling (hopefully) steps up and pays the players the money. The Clippers finally have players worthy of the big bucks so now we will finally get to see if, for the right players, Sterling will open his wallet.


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## Bully (Jul 15, 2002)

*About the Clips*

I find it funny they bring up Anderson - he was a guy that deserved maybe half the max. But for 90% of the unsigned ex-Clippers, most of them deserved 10% - 20% of the max. I'm talking about Manning, Smith, Mo Taylor, etc... - these guys simply weren't worth it. Say what you want about the Clippers, they don't have a Kemp on their roster making 20+ million next season or an Alan Houston contract to eat. The Clips have great young talent they have accumulated over the last few years and they say they want to keep them - and based on their positive moves over the past few years, I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt. They were going after Miller with legitimate talent and you you just don't do that unless your willing to pay. With Candy and Brand, they're simply holding tight. Why offer the max when they don't have to ? They should simply tell them - we love you and we will pay more than any other team to keep you - we will pay more than market value. Unfortunately, that does not equal the max as almost no team can offer more than 5 million a year. If the Clips play their cards right, they might be able to keep 4-5 of these guys instead of 2 or 3. 

The above being said, I will be the first to rip them if they make some knucklehead manuevers.

Bully


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## Living XL (Jul 15, 2002)

DTS has made it abundantly clear that he is going to do everything possible to keep this team intact. There is direct quotes from the horses mouth that he is willing to MAX out any player that is deserving.


Basing your article on the same ol' rehashed stories w/ no credible source was my problem. Especially, when there is existing quotes _directly_ from the horses mouth (DTS) which dispels any of DTS's naysayers/current articles.

The numbers one reason why a trade for Miller or Baron has not occured is becuase the Clippers are unwilling to part with what is demanded of them. You know what? I wouldn't either. Odom, Wilcox, and Ely is way too much talent (even if redundant on this team) to give for either of those players. Insisting it hasn't happened becuase DTS refused to pay anyone any kind of money is irresponsible, especially since the details/facts are there.


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## bajabill (Jul 12, 2002)

*<font color=blue>This reply is UNACCEPTABLE and will not be tolerated. Check your PMs. 
TR*</font>


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