Los Angeles Clippers



The Clippers’ 2004 lottery pick (drafted fourth overall out of Peoria Central High School in Illinois)came into the NBA with glittering potential. But starting with his rookie season, when he dislocated his right knee cap, Livingston has been snake-bitten by assorted injuries. In total, he has missed 181 out of a possible 324 games, due to injury, over his four-year career.

But Livingston’s knee reportedly is sound. The emphasis over the past several months has been to make certain that the muscle region around the knee was sufficiently strong.

Now, however, comes a tough decision for the Clippers to make. They either must tender Livingston a qualifying offer of $5.8 million, by June 30, otherwise Livingston would become an unrestricted free agent the following day.

It amounts to a gamble and ultimately, the final decision will be made by owner Donald T. Sterling. But that would be only after it has passed through vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor, coach Mike Dunleavy and team president Andy Roeser.

Neil Olshey, the Clippers’ director of player personnel, said the decision only would be rendered after consultation with trainer Jasen Powell, who has been monitoring Livingston’s rehabilitation since the surgery on Livingston’s knee in March 2007.

Regardless of what stage the Clippers believe Livingston to be at, they are expected to draft a guard with their seventh overall pick in this month’s NBA draft.

Season Highlight:   Without a doubt it was the Clippers’ 4-0 season start that elicited what turned out to be false hope of competing for the playoffs. In retrospect, those victories turned out to be hollow because none of those four teams—Golden State, Seattle, Chicago or Indiana—ended up making the playoffs this year.

Turning Point:   After a home win over a talented Denver Nuggets team, the Clippers’ record stood at 6-4. However, that subsequently was followed by a seven-game losing streak and the Clippers never reached the .500 mark again.

Notes, Quotes

• The Clippers’ entire assistant coaching staff has been retained. That means that Jim Eyen, Kim Hughes, Rory White and Neal Meyer all will be back for the 2008-2009 season. All are under one-year contracts. Head coach Mike Dunleavy still has three years and $17 million remaining on the contract extension he signed, as reward for leading the Clippers to the Western Conference semi-final playoff round in 2006.

• Former Clipper guard Eddie House, who was a key reserve during the regular season for the Boston Celtics, was a catalyst for the Celtics in their thrilling comeback victory over the Lakers in Game 4 of the NBA finals. House hit a pair of huge fourth quarter shots. In his one season with the Clippers (2003-2004), House had a memorable scoring burst at Utah, when he erupted for 14 fourth-quarter points, in a span of three minutes. Despite having House on fire, the Clippers still lost that game.

• Neil Olshey, the Clippers’ director of player personnel, said the Clippers scouted 60 players in Orlando at the NBA’s pre-draft camp. The Clippers will work out a total of 24 players, spaced over four days, at Spectrum South. Prior to the June 26 draft, they also will have evaluated another 24 players at a mini-combine in Oakland.

• The Clippers are one of a number of teams that likely will have interest in pursuing Toronto guard Jose Calderon, once the free-agency period opens in July. However, interested NBA teams will be dealing with a soon-to-be-announced new agent for Calderon, who recently dropped George Bass, who had been representing Calderon.

• Former Clipper lottery pick, Yaroslav Korolev, is back in the States, after spending this past season playing in Russia, with the club team Dynamo Moscow. The 21-year old Korolev, whom the Clippers drafted 14th overall in 2005, is seeking to gain a summer-league invitation with a NBA team.

Quote To Note:   “I feel like I owe them some loyalty.”—Forward Nick Fazekas, who will be an unrestricted free agent July 1 but would prefer returning to the Clippers, who signed him out of the D-League in the second half of the 2007-2008 season.

Roster Report

Most Valuable Player:   Forward Corey Maggette—With the near season-long absence of forward Elton Brand, Maggette became the Clippers’ primary offensive scoring source. He responded by posting 52 20-point scoring performances in the 70 games that he played.

Most Disappointing Player:   Forward Tim Thomas—It was hoped that Thomas could have stepped in for the injured Brand and provide the Clippers with a stable presence at power forward. However, after beginning the season shooting over 50 percent from the field, Thomas’ performance took a nose dive.

Biggest Needs:   After needing a guard but taking F Al Thornton in last year’s NBA Draft, it is imperative that the Clippers draft a point guard or combo guard next month. Yes, Thornton turned out to be a great pick, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors. But the Clippers cannot afford to go into the 2008-2009 season with such uncertainty at the most crucial position on the floor.

Free Agent Focus:   Although Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy touts swingman Quinton Ross as being a stalwart defender, Ross did not receive a single vote for the NBA’s all-defensive team. Even Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich got a vote. There is a strong possibility, too, that Ross will depart after four seasons with the Clippers. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the most money he has made in a season is $826,046.

It is all but certain that journeyman point guard Dan Dickau won’t be back after one season with the Clippers. Dickau was slated to be the third point guard in training camp, but a combination of injuries and Sam Cassell’s eventual departure elevated Dickau into a late season starting role.

Guard Smush Parker did not set any mouths to salivating during his second-half season performance with the Clippers, who signed him after Parker was exiled and then finally waived by Miami. Parker, also an unrestricted free agent, in all probability will wind up in another uniform.

Player Notes:  

• Forward Nick Fazekas, who finished the season with the Clippers, has been working out five days a week at the team’s interim Spectrum South practice court. Fazekas has an invitation to play on the Clippers’ summer-league team but so far has not committed. Fazekas said his agent is checking out several other possibilities.

• Center Chris Kaman is coming off a breakthrough season in which he averaged 15.7 points and 12.7 rebounds. But Kaman is not resting on his laurels. Instead of spending time back in his home town of Wyoming, Mich., or going deep-sea fishing off the coast of Baja California in his boat, Kaman has been working out at Spectrum South six days a week.

• Forward Elton Brand said his agent, David Falk, is surveying the landscape and a decision is not imminent on whether Brand will opt out of the final year of his contract. Brand, however, who missed all but eight games this season, while recovering from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon suffered during the summer, reported that his Achilles’ tendon is completely fine. He also has been diligently working out five days a week at Spectrum South.