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I think Sam wants to play next season.
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posted by Ralph Lawler | January 4 @ 2:09 pm Joe Alvarez from Santa Ana, CA writes... Ralph, Do you see any Clippers wanting to become coaches other than Sam Cassell? I think Sam would be a great coach, but I also think that perhaps Elton Brand might be good also. Do you see Sam Cassell perhaps becoming an assistant coach for us next season? Joe, Brevin Knight would be a good one and his dad was a coach. Regarding Sam, I think he wants to play next season. - Ralph
Michael from Torrance, CA writes... Is the draft pick the Clippers acquired from the Timberwolves protected again this year? Michael, It is protected until 2012. - Ralph
Alex Smithenson from Los Angeles, CA writes... What are the chances of Corey Maggette not re-signing with the Clippers?
Free agents will find a very limited market available to them this summer. Hardly any teams are going to have any money to spend other than the mid-level that starts at about $5.5 million and with so many teams close to or over the dreaded luxury tax, few are expected to even use it. I think the likelihood is that Corey completes his contract with the Clippers through 2009 or signs an extension with them. Same goes for Elton Brand, as well. - Ralph
Rusty Slota from Bloomington, CA writes... Ralph! I need to see some EB on the court. What’s your inside scoop on his progress? Thanks for all the great commentary and keep sticking it to Mike. Rusty, I think March is the best bet for an Elton Brand sighting on the basketball court. We sure do miss him. - Ralph
Jesse from La Mirada, CA writes... Hi Ralph, I’ve had so many great memories with my father at the L.A. Sports Arena. My question to you is what is your most memorable moment there? Jesse, I think back to the Larry Brown era. His first game as a Clippers coach was Feb. 12, 1992. The team had been in disarray under Mike Schuler. The Larry Brown coached team beat a good Houston team that night, 97-95 and won 23 of its final 35 to reach the playoffs. We knew something special was happening that very first night at the old arena. - Ralph
Nitin Patral from Irvine, CA writes... Hi Ralph, I saw that Kyle Korver was traded by the 76ers to the Jazz. One of our biggest problems this year has been shooting, and I think he would have been a great addition to our team. Should we have made an effort to get him?
I guarantee you that the Clippers talked to the Sixers about Korver. The problem is that Philly wanted a comparable expiring contract and a first round draft pick. The Clippers did not have a comparable expiring contract and would loathe to give up a first round pick. - Ralph
Cindy Montejano from Lincoln Heights writes... Ralph, I've been watching the games this year closely and nervously and it seems that the Clips are running short with all the injuries, so then… who do you suppose Clips will pick in the lottery and/or what position do they need? Cindy, Way too early to know who is going to be available in the draft. The colleges are just going into their conference seasons and there’s a lot yet to be learned about those players. Obviously, if in the lottery… you’d love to win it and draft No. 1. - Ralph
Jason from Ontario, CA writes... What do you think is the likelihood that Brand and/or Livingston return to practice sometime next month? It's not over until it's over, but just out of curiosity, who out of Beasley, Rose, Mayo & Gordon do you think would complement the team the best?
Really still a guess, but I’ll project late February for Livingston and sometime in March for Brand. Again, the draft is too far away to speculate. That said, O.J. Mayo would look pretty good in a Clippers uniform. - Ralph
Derick Green from Northridge, CA writes... Ralph, Please tell Clipper Nation what you think the team should do via trade or free agent signees. Derick, I’d love to see (and wouldn’t be surprised to see)a concerted effort to land a marquee star player. They’ve tried in the past with Kobe Bryant, Gilbert Arenas and others. That’s the quickest fix that’s available. The Boston blueprint looks like it’s working pretty well. Though all this sounds good, it is not easy to accomplish. Just know that the team is trying very hard every single day to improve in any way possible. - Ralph
Mike V. from Los Angeles, CA writes... Hi Ralph, I just want to say first off, you and Mike do a great job every game. Anyway, I think the Clips need to make some changes in the coaching staff. What's your take on my opinion? Mike, Trust me, the problem is not with this coaching staff. Fans want more ball movement – the coaches want more ball movement. All the injuries have made this season very much a "work in progress." The staff and the players are working hard and we’ve seen progress with Kaman and now with Thornton. The team still has the assets to become very competitive once healthy. - Ralph
Jorge Smith from Los Angeles, CA writes... I was yelling, "Swing the ball!" during the game versus the Timberwolves like I do in all the games, and to my surprise they started doing it. Granted the Timberwolves aren't the greatest team, do you think we have a chance at .500 if we swing the ball like we did on New Years Eve? Jorge, I can’t hear you yelling "swing the ball" because you are drowned out by Coach Dunleavy yelling the same thing. They need that and a lot more to get back to .500. Healthy bodies and a restart to the season would help. - Ralph
Bob McCarthy from Simi Valley, CA writes... Ralph, Should the Clippers call it a season and regroup for next year or should they make a trade to help this year as well as the next couple of seasons? Bob, No sentiment to "call it a season." The coaches are paid to coach and the players are paid to play. The effort every night is to win. I certainly would not rule out a trade or a free agent signing. - Ralph
Jim from Los Angeles, CA writes...
I have two goals for this team:
Jim, You are on target with both points. Al’s minutes are soaring and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of trade talk between now and the deadline next month. - Ralph
Josh Carrington from San Dimas, CA writes... Hi Ralph, What do you think of the ruling that makes high school players ineligible to be drafted? Perhaps I'm old school, but I enjoyed the league when players had to stay four years in school and could only come out because of the Hardship Rule. Josh, The Hardship Rule was so badly abused that I would not favor a return to that. The league tried to keep the young players in college for two years but were negotiated down to one by the player’s association for reasons I am yet to fully understand. I think two years would have been good for both the college and pro game. - Ralph
Alfredo Lomeli from Indianapolis, IN writes... Hi Ralph, Just wanted to thank you again for talking with me last year after the Clippers game at Conseco Fieldhouse. You are truly one of a kind. Also I just thought to let you know I will be moving back home in March. Alfredo, Well, come on down to STAPLES Center so we can welcome you home. - Ralph
Lynette from Las Vegas, NV writes... Hi Ralph, I'm a Clippers fan going to school in Las Vegas. I will always be a Clippers fan and can see the games on FSN. However, I think Las Vegas deserves an NBA team considering the population growth and NBA All-Star game success last year. Will Las Vegas' gambling issues prevent this from happening? Lynette, With Seattle, Charlotte, Sacramento and New Orleans possibly looking at relocation in the years ahead, I would think Las Vegas may get a team sometime in the next decade. It would be a very interesting stop for traveling teams. - Ralph
Diana from Huntington Beach, CA writes... Ralph, I'd gotten to like Ruben Patterson and was disappointed we released him. I read the "official" story that it was to make time for Al Thornton. Was there more to this ? Diana, I don’t think so, except that the team had become offensively challenged and Ruben was not the cure in that area. Minutes for Thornton were important to find and they’ve found them in Ruben’s absence. - Ralph
Taylor Moxon from Long Beach, CA writes... Ralph, Any word on what Mike named his kids? I do agree with you that it would be cool if Mike named the boy Ralph. Also I am very excited about Al's development, ever since they waived Patterson he’s played better. Taylor, The little girl is Natalie and the little boy is Jackson. Can you believe that? He named his last born son after Lakers coach Phil Jackson!!! I’m having a very hard time dealing with this. - Ralph
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