We just love this illo of Sam "The Alien" Cassell
Opponent File
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers play in
the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Their 2006 - 2007 record was 40 - 42 (fourth in the Pacific). Here's
the LA
Clippers Roster
Local Papers:
Los
Angeles Times | Clippers
Team Pages:
CNNSI.com | Clippers
ESPN.com | Clippers
FoxSports | Clippers
NBA.com | Clippers
Sportsline.com | Clippers
Head Coach: Mike
Dunleavy
2007 Draft: F Al Thornton, (#14), Florida State; G Jared Jordan, (#45), Marist.
New Players: G Guillermo Diaz (Draft); G Brevin Knight (Free agent); G Dan Dickau (Trade); F Josh Powell (Free agent).
Season Goal: Try to hold serve with Elton Brand out for the season - explore ways to get better by either trading or getting draft picks and wait for '08 - '09.
Record vs. Nets: 1 - 0
G22: Clippers 91, Nets 82
Other Opponent Files
Los Angeles Clippers
(11 - 24) - Saturday, January 19, 2008, 10:30PM EST - Staples Center
First Stop Hollywood
What a great script it would make - struggling basketball team hits the lights of LA and plays the game of its life, with plenty of love for the stars and the supporting cast, and that win turns around a season that was seriously in doubt. Hey, withouth scriptwriters working, it's probably not going to happen, but the Nets would take a Hollywood ending to this one against the Clippers as long as it leads to bigger and better in the future. The Clips lost Elton Brand and Shawn Livingston before the season even started, and they've struggled mightly all season long, looking for an identity and placing their hopes in the likes of Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobely and Sam "The Alien" Cassell, the ex-Nets sparkplug who's now 38 and potentially on the trading block. The Nets, meanwhile, kick of a long, 6-game trek across the Western US with this one, the first of a back-to-back (the Suns are next) and hoping to get out of their three game losing funk. Can Kidd, Carter, Jefferson and the rest make this into winning trip? With the success they've had on the road thus far this season, don't count them out. The Nets, though, need to bring energy, effort and execution - all at the same time.
Why
Should You Watch? The Nets need wins, and now is a really great game to start a winning trend again. The road doesn't get easier from here - the Suns, Kings and Warriors are the next three, and all are well-above .500. Jason Kidd loves to match up with Cassell, who can be maddeningly accurate (think Jamal Crawford from Wednesday) or horrifically schizo (again, think Crawford from other efforts). Vince Carter needs a destruction game - one where we think he can dominate for more than a quarter, before we'd feel better about the Nets' chances on this trip. Time for Josh Boone and Sean Williams to grow up, because the Nets need someone to counter Chris Kamen down low (they failed miserably at the Izod earlier this season. Lawrence Frank needs to start converting the faithful that this team can actually play like one for long stretches.
- Joe
Los Angeles Clippers Cheat Sheet
The Story From Lost Angeles: From
the LA Times: With the Clippers injured and headed nowhere fast, is G Sam Cassell on the trading block? "Right now, I'm a member of the Clippers and that's all I can go by," Cassell said. "I've been traded before. If it happens, it happens.
"It's been a struggle this year, but I enjoy playing here. I wish we had our full capacity of players, but that's not going to happen this year. I don't have four more years of basketball left to play in this league. I won't. I have this year and next year."
Cassell, 38, is in the final year of his contract, making $6.1 million. The Clippers are hesitant to take on any contracts beyond this season. Also, it is simply not a matter of the Clippers accepting draft picks for Cassell, because the salaries would have to be in the range of another player.
And, most of all, the Clippers believe a healthy Cassell can improve their team just as well as anyone else's, as evidenced by his 32-point outburst against the Suns on Tuesday.
"It's not something I'm pursuing," Cassell said of the rumors. "Saying the politically correct thing is one thing, but if you want to be somewhere, you would be somewhere."
Pain Game: C Paul Davis (knee), F Elton Brand (Achilles) and PG Shaun Livingston (Knee) are all out for the Clippers. C Aaron Williams (wrist) is questionable. C Nenad Krstic (knee) is out for the Nets. G/F Antoine Wright (ankle/flu) is questionable.
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