L.A.'s Clip Show: Losing Personified - The San Dova 2008-2009 NBA Season Wrap-Up

The 2008-2009 season was already a bad future sequence of events before anything was even factual. The Los Angeles Clippers' failing head coach, Mike Dunleavy, still had his job. Elton Brand left for more money in Philadelphia, leaving one-half of a potential tag team signed in star guard Baron Davis. Davis then injured his leg while training for the season, and this all occured BEFORE the season was in play.

Then Zach Randolph was traded to the team from the New York Knicks, and has been immediately responsible for poor, selfish play. Davis, nee "Boom Dizzle", has since played a sub-par year (for him), straddling the line between good health and a slight tweak of a hamstring away from the injured list. Center Chris Kaman has been injured and largely ineffective, and owner Donald Sterling has created complete and utter dissension between himself and his players following a post-All-Star break locker room tirade, but there has been some good in the midst of darkness.

Rookie Eric Gordon was afforded more minutes at shooting guard, following the trade of Cuttino Mobley to the Knicks for Randolph, and has been highly effective, and projects to be a future All-Star guard. Mike Taylor, the first player to be drafted from the NBA Development League, has shown great scoring ability as both a reserve and starter at point guard, while 2nd-year forward Al Thornton has continued to play explosively at small forward and power forward alike.

The main concern about the future of the team will be figuring out how to inspire either better play from Davis, Randolph and Kaman, or how to trade at least two of those players away (preferably Randolph and Davis) for more flexibility. The latter scenario being unlikely (but not impossible), the Clippers may very well be in a terrible position for years to come, and most likely will acquire another young, talented player in the 2009 Draft.

Unfortunately, the Clippers project to be losers in the Western Conference.