Lakers News and Commentary : Los Angeles Clippers

In This Case, One Out Of Three Ain't Bad!

Scott Mitchell — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:56:00 GMT

The Lakers had the toughest three-game stretch of their season the past six days, matching up against the always dangerous San Antonio Spurs, the hot Orlando Magic, and the unstoppable Cleveland Cavaliers.

The first game against the Spurs was, perhaps, their toughest, as it was on the road and the second game in a back-to-back. Yet the game was close and down to the wire, with the Lakers up by two with less than a minute. However, San Antonio's newest big shot baller, Roger Mason, who scored 18 points it total, hit the most crucial three by draining a jumper while getting fouled by Derek Fisher. The bucket tied the game and the subsequent free throw put the Spurs up by 1. On the final possession, Kobe Bryant passed to a cutting Trevor Ariza who got whistled for traveling when his feet got tangled up with a Spurs players.

On Friday, the Lakers returned home to face off against the Magic, whose 31-8 record was certainly on par with the Lakers (31-7). Dwight Howard had a monster game, netting 25 points, pulling down 20 boards, and blocking three shots. Jameer Nelson helped ice the game with 15 fourth quarter points. The Lakers didn't keep this game as close as they did in the Spurs game two nights before, and ended up losing 109-103.

Last night the Lakers welcomed another Eastern Conference power, this time winning in style, 105-88. This game had a scary moment - Kobe Bryant dislocated the ring finger on his shooting hand in the 2nd quarter. The trainer re-located it and Bryant returned to action, albeit clearly playing in pain. The good news is that the X-rays were negative, there was no fracture. In aftergame comments Bryant noted that this was the greatest amount of pain he's ever played in, but that he doesn't expect to miss Wednesday's "away game" against the Los Angeles Clippers.

As it stands, the Lakers are curretly sitting atop the Western Conference at 32-8, five games ahead of their nearest competition. Unfortunately, the wear and tear of the season is starting to impact this squad. Kobe's finger aside, the Lakers have had Lamar Odom in and out of the lineup as of late. And backups Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton have been beseiged by injuries, as well. Hopefully the Lakers can continue to avoid any major injuries, like Andrew Bynum's season-ending injury last January, or Ariza's broken foot, which took him out the majority of the regular season.

Go Lakers!

How the West Was Won

Scott — Tue, 23 May 2006 13:26:00 GMT

On Sunday, the Detroit Pistons won their second straight “must-win” game against the Cavs, advancing to the ECFs for a rematch with the Miami Heat. Even with the Cavs up three games to two, I still liked the Pistons. While they seem to lose focus and stumbled a bit in losing three straight to LeBron's Cavs, it's hard not to favor the experienced, veteran-rich team over the young Cavs whose team depth doesn't extend much below LeBron. Surpringly, the Cavs made Game 6 a nail-biter, where if it wasn't for a few key offensive rebounds from the Pistons late in the game, the Cavs may have taken the series at home in Game 6. However, the Pistons won, and Game 7 was, IMO, a foregone conclusion. To give the Cavs their credit, they put up a good fight in the first half, but fatigue, inexperienced coaching, and big-game jitters made them ineffective in the second half, and Detroit cruised to the W and the ECFs.

In the West, I thought the Mavs inexperience would lead to a San Antonio Spurs victory in Game 7. Even with the Mavs leading through much of the game, my eyes were on the last 5 minutes. The Spurs came through, and when Manu hit that 3 to put the Spurs up by 3 with a little over a half-minute to go in the game, I thought it was iced. But Dirk hit a bucket and got to the line to tie it back up. In overtime, the Spurs looked tired and waiting (expecting) someone to step up. But no one did, and the Mavs bested their cross-state rivals.

And in the other Game 7 last night, the Suns outshot the Clippers. The Suns are effectively running a 7-man rotation and scoring well over 100 on most nights. They're running fast break after fast break, moving without the ball, and have come off their second straight 7-game series. How these guys are able to stand, let alone play 48 minutes of basketball every other night, is beyond me. Will fatigue catch up to the Suns in the WCFs? I hope not, I hope we get blessed with another 7-game series thats as exciting as the other series we've been enjoying this postseason.

With Dallas and Phoenix's wins last night, my Wester Conference picks have been decimated, as I expected the Spurs and Clippers to square off in the WCF. My predictions in the East are still spot on, save for the Cavs besting the Washington Wizards. Given the new shakedown, I predict Mavs over Suns in 6 and Pistons over the Heat in 7, with the Mavs winning it all in 6.

Big Games Tonight!

Scott — Fri, 19 May 2006 19:36:00 GMT

Tonight the Cavs - who lead the series three games to two - take on the Pistons in Cleveland with the hopes of advancing to the first ECFs since 1992. (If my memory serves me correctly, the 1992 Cavs team that reached the ECF were summarily destroyed by the Chicago Bulls in 4 games, who were en route to their second championship in their first three-peat.) I don't think anyone expected this series to ever be competitive, let alone have the Pistons facing elimination. I was right with 'Sheed when, before Game 4, he “guaranteed” a victory. I would have gone 5x odds with someone that the Cavs would crumble and the Pistons would win Game 4 (and probably 3x odds that they'd take take this thing in 5). But the Cavs went and did what no one expected - they won Game 4 and then a tough-fought Game 5 up in Detroit.

As Nike would like us to say, we are all witnesses to LeBron's coming out party. As long as this phenom can, (a) Stay healthy, (b) Stay out of trouble with women/drugs, and (c) Keep the competitive fires burning within well-fanned, then we'll all be treated to 10+ years of jaw-dropping performances. And, should the Cavs front office find the right pieces, who knows how many rings young BronBron will one day adorn. I can't see them winning it all this year - in fact, my money's still on Detroit winning this thing in 7 - but they're obviously playing better than most (myself included) had given them credit for.

Over in the Western Conference, we have Game 6 of the Mavs-Spurs series, the Mavs up 3-2 and playing at home, but without Jason Terry, who was suspended for one game for socking ex-Mav Michael Finley square between the legs. The lesson for you young kids out there - it's OK to yank another man's junk (see Chris Kaman's testicles), but it's not OK to punch 'em. All but Game 2 of this series has been extremely hard fought, close games. While the refs have “injected themselves” a bit more into this series than many would like, each quarter (except for those in Game 2) has been a great back and forth between two top-tier teams. Had the Suns or Clippers dispatched of one another more expeditiously, they might have had the advantage going into the WCFs, facing a beleaguered Mavs or Spurs team. But as things stand, the Clips and Suns have their own Game 7 to look forward to (come Monday night).

Why Monday and not Sunday? I honestly don't know. I guess the League would rather make sure that during that prime watching time - Sunday afternoon, shown on network TV, etc., etc. - we instead have options like the WNBA. Sadly, I'm not kidding. On Saturday, ABC's airing the Mecury/Monarchs game. I think I'm going to vomit. (They - the NBA and ABC - pulled these shenanigans last year, too. Boo.)

I still hold fast to my earlier predictions - Clippers vs. Spurs in the WCFs and Pistons vs. Heat in the ECFs. Both the Spurs and Pistons will need to win the next two in order to advance, making them the underdogs. But I've seen both of these teams pull through when facing similar predicaments in the past, and have learned my lesson. Of course, if Bill Simmons's latest conjecture holds any merit, the past is no longer relevant, as we've reached an age where small, speedy point guards taking the ball hard to the rim are the new model...

In any event, we've got a number of great games left in this 2nd round... and the best news is that we're only half way through these playoffs! :-)

2nd Round of Playoffs Begin With a Yawn

Scott — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:21:00 GMT

With the top eight teams left vying for their conferences' finals, you'd think that we'd - the NBA fan base - would be in for a scintillating treat of well-played, down-to-the-wire basketball games. Save for Game 1 of the Mavs/Spurs series, however, all other games have been far too one-sided. Sure, the Cavs made an impressive 4th quarter comeback attempt, but that fell short, and Game 1 of the Suns/Clippers series had its high points, but there's been no last minute mad dashes to the hoops, or final second shot attempts that decide the game's fate (except for Game 1 of Mavs/Spurs). After being spoiled from the first round of the playoffs with one nail-biting game after another, this second round of playoffs feels like a let down.

Currently, only the Pistons hold a 2-0 advantage, with all other three series knotted up at a game apiece. There's no game tonight (Thursday), the day of rest being added as the teams shift to a new locale and so that ABC game air a game on Saturday and Sunday (Game 3 of the Mavs/Spurs and Game 4 of the Heat/Nets, respectively).

I still hold by my earlier predictions: Detroit and Miami will match up in the ECF, with Detroit advancing, and the Spurs will move on to face the Clippers, with yet another Spurs/Pistons Finals matchup ensuing.

Clipps Advance to the 2nd Round; Lakers Can Clinch Tonight

Scott — Tue, 02 May 2006 11:46:00 GMT

Last night the Clippers beat the Nuggets in Game 5 to win the series 4-1 and advance out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 30 years. Back in 1976 they were the Buffalo Braves and finished the season 46-36. (This year the Clippers finished 47-35, although they probably could have had a better record if it weren't for an end-of-the-season slump... but then they would have gotten bushwhacked by the Mavs...)

Tonight L.A.'s more renowned team plays its 5th game in the series, with an opportunity to advance. The Lakers take on the Suns in Phoenix tonight, up 3-1 in the series. This going up against the team with the back-to-back MVP (Nash) and this year's Most Improved Player (Diaw). But with a soft interior, a sidelined Amare, an injured Tim Thomas, and some unlucky bounces/breaks, it's clearly not been enough.

Will the Lakers take the series tonight? I hope so, I'd like to see and LA/LA WCSF matchup. A lot of it depends on Phoenix's poise coming into this game. Will they have the demeanor of a team that still believes in itself, or will they have mentally resigned this series (a malaise the Nuggets have exhibited throughout their first round against the Clipps)? If the Suns come out with confidence and vigor - which I expect they will - it should be another nail-bitter of a game. While statistically the Lakers have the upper hand in the series (historically, 96% of teams leading 3-1 end up winning the series), it would be foolhearty to discount the Suns at this point. This is a streaky team, and winning three straight is certainly not something I'd put past them.

In any event, if tonight's game is anything like the last four, it should be both down to the wire and most exciting!

No Big Surprises in the Playoffs...

Scott — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 01:15:00 GMT

No big surprises after the first couple of games in the playoffs. The "Contenders" - San Antonio, Detroit, Miami, and Dallas - all hold 2-0 leads. Some people pegged the Bulls or Grizz as the surprise teams, and while 2-0 isn't the same as 4-0, I can't fathom any of the "Contenders" dropping four of the next five games.

Also, as I predicted, the Clippers are playing well despite their year end malaise. And the Suns/Lakers series is seeming to get more interesting, with a close game on Sunday and the Lakers up by 15 at half time. Going back to LA with the series knotted at 1-1 it vital if the Lakers hope in winning this series. Regardless of their half time lead and the possibility of a tied series, I don't see the Lakers winning this one, as the Suns have too much offensive firepower. Unless the Lakers can have monumental games from Odom and Kawme, they're going to have a hard time making it to the WCSF.

And what of the Pacers/Nets and Cavs/Wiz series? Those are shaping up nicely, too. Indy got a lucky win on Sunday, which will probably be their only one of the series. The Cavs/Wiz, I predict, will go 6 or 7, with the Wiz prevailing (only to get smacked around by Detroit).

The great games will commence in the Semi Finals... Dallas v. San Antonio being the premier matchup. And of course the conference finals promise to be delightfully entertaining as well.

2005-2006 Playoff Predictions

Scott — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:54:00 GMT

Time for this year's insanely inaccurate playoff predictions! But before we begin, let's review my oracle skills from last season, when I made my 2004-2005 playoff predictions. My Eastern Conference picks were nearly perfect. I ended up picking all of the first round winners and did predict the Pistons besting the Heat in the ECF. In the West, however, I took a beating as I ignorantly guessed that Denver would upset the Spurs.... which kind of ruined the whole Western Conference (although I did predict the Suns making it to the WCF). This year I'm going to put a little more faith in the Spurs!

Let's get started!

Eastern Conference

Round 1
(1) Detroit beats (8) Milwaukee - Milwaukee has the least envious position of having to face the winningest, most veteran and poised team in the NBA. Barring Chauncey and Rip running into each other leading to season-ending injuries, followed up by Ben Wallace running over to see if his team mates are all right and colliding with Rasheed, ending both of their seasons, I don't see how the Bucks can win four games out of seven against this team. In fact, I'm thinking.... sweep!

(4) Cleveland loses to (5) Washington - Washington has a bit more playoff experience and while LeBron is a man child, he's still lacks the inexperience. It's OK, BronBron, MJ didn't reach the second round of the playoffs until his fourth season.

(3) New Jersey beats (6) Indiana - With New Jersey playing on fire lately and Indiana still enjoying their descent from what could have been since the Ron Artest mele, I see this one over with in 5 with NJ dominating throughout. They'll need to win quickly, too, as Kidd could use the rest.

(2) Miami beats (7) Chicago - Don't bet against The Deisel. Yes, Shaq's another year older and another year slower, but he's still The M.D.E. Combine that with Dwayne Wade and it's hard to see this Bulls team winning more than 2 (if that).

Round 2
(1) Detroit beats (5) Washington - More of the same from the Pistons (assuming no injuries), besting the Wizards in 5.

(2) Miami beats (3) New Jersey - While the Heat are a bit banged up and in a bit of a funk, and while the Nets are playing the best ball all season, I still think the Heat have more options and can beat teams in more ways. This assumes that Shaq is able to ratchet it up a notch and Wade is 100%. This should probably be a very interesting series, but I think the Heat will take it in 6.

Round 3
(1) Detroit beats (2) Miami - A rematch of last year's ECFs. However this time the series isn't nearly as close and the Pistons win in 6. Pat Reilly proceeds to detonate the Heat roster once again in the off-season.

Western Conference

Round 1
(1) San Antonio beats (8) Sacramento - while the Spurs aren't completely healthy, they are the defending NBA champs and have a solid roster of veterans and play makers. I've learned my lesson from last year - do not doubt the Spurs!

(4) Dallas over Memphis (5) - It's a shame that Dallas is seeded fourth (as Mark Cuban will happily tell you), but no one will regret that more than the Grizz, who have yet to win a playoff series in the franchise history and aren't going to start now. The big question for Mavs fans - will Dirk show up this postseason? He'll need to if the Mavs have any hope of reaching the WCF or beyond.

(6) LA Clippers over (3) Denver - this is one of my two “upset” picks. While the Clippers have been playing lackluster basketball the last few weeks of the season, it would be nice to see them actually have some impact in the postseason for the first time in a loooooooooong time. Should be a good series. Keep on eye on Cassell and his leadership. Clippers in 7.

(2) Phoenix over (7) LA Lakers - even though the Lakers bested the Suns in the final season meeting, that final game was sans Steve Nash and included 43 from Kobe. With Nash, the Suns won the other three games against the Lakers this season. I expect Kobe will have two (or three?) big games in this series, which should be fun to watch, but I can't fathom the Lakers winning four out of seven. Phoenix in 5, unless Kobe has multiple Herculean efforts, in which case Suns in 6.

Round 2
(1) San Antonio over (4) Dallas - this is the hardest matchup to predict, in my opinion, and will likely be one of the best to watch. I have to give the edge to the defending champs here, since Dirk has yet to prove himself able to step it up in the playoffs. Last year there was a lot of finger-pointing when the Ls started to pile up. This year the Mavs will need to put any dissent behind them and learn to prosper as a team. And Dirk will have to be able to say, “Give me the ball,“ in crunch time and, more importantly, make the big play.

(2) Phoenix loses to (6) LA Clippers - here's the other “upset” pick, another risky guess. Regardless of the eventual winner, I think this is a series that goes six games, minimum. I pick the Clips, in part, because I'm hoping to see a ray of sunlight into the otherwise dreary lives of Clippers fans.

Round 3
(1) San Antonio over (6) LA Clippers - after a brutal WCSF series against the Mavs, the Spurs will have it easy against the Clippers, out playing them with ease and winning in 5.

NBA Finals

Detroit beats San Antonio in 7 - another great Finals matchup. Like last year, there will be some blowout games, but the series will go 6, if not 7, and have a fair mix of down-to-the-wire games, with the Pistrons (if they can stay healthy!) taking the title back from the Spurs.

How About Them Clipps?

Scott — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:06:00 GMT

Who woulda thunk it? The Los Angeles Clippers, tied for first place in the Western Conference! Granted, it's very early in the season, and two of their six wins have come against the Atlanta Hawks, one of only two winless teams left in the League, but this is still better than even the most optimistic Clippers fan could have hoped for, after losing Bobby Simmons and having the young, hopeful Shaun Livingston sidelined by back problems. But the Cassell trade has worked out probably better than anyone expected. So far.

Of course, Murphy always seems to have a way of crashing the Clippers season at some point, but who knows, maybe this year will be different! (Yeah, right.) What's kind of sad is that the Clippers, last year, ended up with a better record than the Lakers (37-45 versus 34-48). With the Lakers off to a rather ho-hum start (3-4), I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the Clippers outpaced the Lakers yet again this year.

Speaking of playing well, the Detroit Pistons remain the only undefeated team in the L, blowing away the Celtics last night, 115-100. I watched part of their close game against the Blazers last week. I like what the Pistons did in the offseason - focus on keeping the core talent (Prince, for example) and add trusty veterans who know their place and are starving for a ring (Evans and Davis)... although Davis has not seen much court time, but Evans is playing well and contributing.

Ick, Kwame Brown a Laker

Scott — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 02:41:00 GMT

Kwame Brown - aka, Mr. Acne; aka, Jordan's Second Biggest President Mistake (his biggest being trading Rip Hamilton for Stackhouse); aka, Mr. Been Arrested and Suspended Twice - is now a Laker. I think I'm going to vomit.

If you couldn't tell, I think this deal sucks. He stunk it up in Washington, both on and off the court, so why should he be any different in LA, a city that offers even more distractions than our nation's capital? Shit, I think he would be best suited in Portland, where he could really let his dysfunctional nature shine, perhaps even outshine the Trailblazer's cast of characters. But no, now he's a Laker. Meh.

Kwame said: “I just thank God that I'm out of Washington...” Sounds like a professional, classy statement to me, Mr. Brown. If you don't mind me saying, “I just wish you hadn't come to the Lakers.” Here's a team with a pedigree history that has had some of the classiest players of all time. Brown is a step in the wrong direction, if you ask me. At least we are back to having a strong coach with a top dollar salary, one who can't be bullied around by his players (except, maybe, Kobe). In other words, I expect Brown to see about as much playing time as Mitch Richmond saw in the 2001-2002 season, or Bryon Russell saw in the 2003-2004 season. In other words, not much. Mr. Brown, meet the bench, I think you'll remember him from your days in Washington.

Kobe a Laker for Life...

Scott — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 22:27:00 GMT

... assuming he stays a free man.

Today Kobe Bryant announced that he was resigning with the Lakers for a seven year deal worth over $136 million - that averages to nearly $20 per year. Bryant supposedly was listening to offers from Chicago, Denver, New York, and the Clippers, but decided to stay with the Lakers, and why not? I mean, this whole team was restructured with one thing in mind: placate Kobe. Not only have Buss and Kupcheck shipped off Shaq and given Kobe a coach who will give him the ball, but they've also payed him more than any other team could afford. Top it off with Bryant's popularity in La La land, and it doesn't make sense for him to go anywhere else. (Although there is a neat piece by Ray Ratto about how Bryant could have turned the sports world on its head had he signed with the Clippers...)

This offseason has been a pretty busy one. We've seen Shaq go to Miami; earlier McGrady and Stevie traded places; and Nash hit the jackpot in his trade to Miami. And now the Denver Nuggets have K-Mart at the cost of three first-round draft picks. This is officially a sign-and-trade, so Martin will be first signing an estimated seven year deal for $90 million with the Nets, which the Nuggets will then inherit. Quite a bit of movement this offseason, and movement of big names.

Remember a few years ago, how “cap space” made offseason movement so hard? All stars would become free agents, and get money that in the mid 90s bench warmers were seeing. But now, it's been reversed, teams are spending like crazy. I don't know why that is, I imagine maybe a number of teams have been building up their cap space over the past three or four years? For whatever reason, it's making for an exciting off-season. Can't wait for the 2004-2005 season to get underway, and see how these moves pan out.

How About Those Clippers?

Scott — Thu, 11 Dec 2003 16:07:00 GMT

On my way home from teaching last night I was fortunate enough to be able to catch the last couple of minutes of the Clippers-Mavs game on the radio. Typically, I just scan on past the Clippers ball games on the radio, and rarely watch one on TV as the games this season have been pretty one-sided, with the Clippers getting smacked around. However, Brand has returned lately, casting a slim ray of hope on the Clippers season.

Anywho, the game was neck and neck down the stretch. With 50 some seconds left, the game was tied and the Mavs had the ball. A suspect foul by Chris Wilcox - is it just me or does he look like he could roll with Snoop and his thugs? - sent Wilcox out of the game on his 6th and put Walker on the line. Walker made only one of two, keeping the Clippers hopes alive. The Clippers, then, played Clipper ball. They brought the ball down, wasted the shot clock, then threw up a prayer and missed. But! They get the ball back in a Mav mishandling of the ball. Kick out to Glen Rice for 3! Miss. Clipeprs basketball. The Mavs get the ball back and get it into Steve Nash, who is immediately fouled.

Now, Steve Nash is the 4th best free throw shooter in the league. Perhaps for a second the Clipper luck rubbed off on Stevie Nash, because he proceeded to miss both free throws, and the Clippers rebounded. One more chance for the Clips. With 12 seconds left they'd have to play non-Clipper basketball to pull this game out and get the W. The ball is inbounded and dumped into Brand, who's posting up. Brand backs down, does a fade-away and misses. However, the ball gets tipped out to Glen Rice who is at the top of the key, and drains the shot as the clock expires for the W!

It was exciting to listen to, and, believe it or not, but on the radio the crowd sounded really into it and excited. Most amazingly, the crowd sounded...well... big. Perhaps it was because the Mavs were in town. In any event, it was good to hear such an exciting finish, and good to have the Mavs pick up the loss.

With that single 18-foot jump shot, Glen Rice almost surpassed his average points per game this season (2.7) (granted, he's only played in 6 games thus far). I have always hoped someone would take a survey listing previous good players - not great ones, but solid, skilled players - who today still play but are mere shadows of themselves. Players like Glen Rice, who in a past life was a 20+ point game player. People like Rod Strickland, who through the mid-90s was a solid 18 pts and 8 assists per game. Who's your favorite “past-life” hopeful? Someone who, in a time long ago, used to be a solid player, a go-to guy, and now is happy with the 10 minutes per game the coach let's him see?

Why Doesn't San Diego have a Professional Basketball Team?

Scott — Sat, 22 Nov 2003 03:28:00 GMT

There are 29 NBA teams. In 2000, there were 29 US cities with a population of 500,000 or more. Only a handful of these 29 largest cities don't have an NBA team, and most of the cities that don't are geographically close to those that do. Ft. Worth, Texas, for example, with its population of 535,000, does not have an NBA team but its adjoining city Dallas does.

There appear to be only two cities in the top 29 US cities population-wise that don't have an NBA team:

Baltimore
Oklahoma City
San Diego

Now, Oklahoma City is the 29^th largest city, with a mere population of 507,000. Too, it's in the Midwest, smack in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farmland. If you've ever been to Oklahoma, you will likely agree that Oklahoma is not a cultural center. Folks there like football. I don't think the likes of Ricky Davis and LeBron James would go over well in Oklahoma City.

I am utterly perplexed, though, as to why San Diego doesn't have an NBA team. San Diego is the 7^th largest city in the US, with a population well over 1.2 million. Granted, L.A. has two teams, but the Staples Center - with absolutely no traffic - is still a 2.5 hour trek from San Diego. With traffic, it can easily take close to four hours. One way. So why is it that San Diego remains teamless?

San Diego hasn't always been cursed to not have a team. In fact, the L.A. Clippers use to be the San Diego Clippers from 1970 through 1984. The team name, Clipper, refers to a ship, as San Diego's harbor has been a harbor for Clipper ships. Here's some interesting San Diego Clipper history I picked up from http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/sdclips/sdclippers.html:

In 1979, Bill Walton was a San Diego Clipper. This was big news, as Bill grew up in San Diego (and still lives here). However, injuries limited his playing time severely.
Current Cavaliers coach Paul Silas was the San Diego Clippers head coach starting in 1980.
Current Nets coach and former L.A. Laker Byron Scott started his NBA career with the San Diego Clippers.

San Diego was eventually moved to L.A. by its owner due to poor attendance (averaging slightly over 4,000 tickets sold per game). Today, though, I think San Diego could support an NBA team. I think the big problem in attracting a team here is two-fold: first, L.A. is relatively nearby, and it already has two teams; second, San Diego doesn't have an NBA-worthy arena. The only arena here is the San Diego Sports Arena, which holds fewer than 13,000 spectators. Plus, the building is old and ugly, parking is not ample, and getting in and out of the complex is frustrating because there's arena is situated with a river on one side of it and dead-end side streets on its other two sides, leaving only one road for entry and exit.

Regardless, I think if towns like Cleveland (pop. 478,000), Charlotte (pop. 541,000), New Orleans (pop. 485,000), Sacramento (pop. 408,000), Oakland (pop. 400,000), Minneapolis (pop. 383,000), and Miami (pop. 363,000) get to have teams, then San Diego (pop. 1,250,000) utterly deserves to have a team. Are you listening Mr. Stern?