It’s probably derivative at this point, and no I don’t care whether I’m using that word correctly, because if you’re reading this, why wouldn't you be reading that, the turtle asked the owl, but clipperblog slapped up an excellent post today outlining 7 games (representing the 7 fewer the clips won this year than last) that should’ve been wins this season.

Continuing in the things you probably already know department, ClipperSteve puts forth a good argument for the clippers not necessarily being the biggest disappointment in the league this year.

Although much of the blame for this sadsack year has to fall, at least to some degree, on coach Dunleavy’s back, you gotta give him a little credit (I guess) for kind of seeing some of it coming (not sure if that’s a bad thing, a la self fulfilling prophecy, or a good thing, a la forethought is forewarned.) From the OC Register:

When the Clippers got off to a 6-2 start this season, Dunleavy cautioned against runaway expectations, stating that the team was fortunate to have won several close games that could have gone either way.

The team's offensive stagnation and defensive deficiencies concerned Dunleavy in the first few weeks. So did the Clippers' subpar rebounding and turnover problems.

"We've got to get our act together," the Clippers coach said at that time.

This KIND OF explains, at least to me, why he might have chosen to bring Maggette off the bench for so much of the year like he did. Even when Maggs was playing great at the end of the year, he was still VERY turnover prone, with 6 or 7 turnovers seemingly a standard, even as he was scoring between 20 & 25 points, grabbing rebounds, and creating general havoc. Also remember that the team defense focused Corey that appeared out of thin air after the trade deadline wasn’t really in the building the first few months. Not that this excuses Dunleavy taking it to the degree that he did; it was his job to incorporate the skill sets that he had on his roster, handle the morale issues, keep everybody’s heads on straight, at least to a modicum, and shuffle the lineups accordingly to win games. I really don’t believe he did that as well as he could. He apparently did see some of the writing on the wall, though, even when LA got off to that nice start.

What he couldn’t have foreseen, though, were all the injuries (especially the horrific one to Shaun), the nagging problems Sam had that basically kept him MIA all year, the unbelievable headcase that Chris Kaman would become, then unbecome, then become again. Sigh, why am I still going over all this crap? Ah, but what better time, though, and what better place?

In the shit that still might possibly matter department, my longtime blogging compatriot in arms bastitch, a lifelong warriors fan, and thereby thoroughly confused by the smile on his face this time of year, may or may not be contributing his bay area wisdom to these proceedings. Gratzi, salud, & may you always find shade.