Elgin Baylor: Clippers Savior
As odd as it sounds, the much maligned Elgin Baylor might actually have been the guy who has been saving the Clippers these last few year. Ever since Mike Dunleavy Sr. essentially took over the personnel moves of the Clippers, he has acquired a number of players who essentially have one thing in common: they aren't player Mike Dunleavy Sr. would want to coach.
First, he takes Eric Gordon. Now I like Gordon's potential but he doesn't seem like the kind of player that Dunleavy's going to love. He's a volume shooter who is still learning the game. It might have made more sense to go after a deal like the Indiana Pacers got for Jerryd Bayless. Jarret Jack isn't the perfect fit for Dunleavey but he and Brandon Rush would seem to be a better fit and would have a chance to earn starting spots from day 1.
After grabbing Gordon, Dunleavy then risks losing Elton Brand in order to get Baron Davis. While Brand hasn't looked completely healed in Philly, he's far and away a player more suitable for Dunleavy's demanding coaching style. Brand is comfortable playing within a system and doesn't freelance much at all. Baron Davis, on the other hand, is his own man and plays the game at his pace. That pace is often frenetic and the complete opposite of what Dunleavy would want out of his PG. The two have already struggled to connect and I really don't see this getting much better in the future.
Now, word is that the Clippers are going after Zach Randolph once again. It was bad enough when they were offering a second rounder for him but now they are going to move Chris Kaman for Zach (in, what would have to be, a three team deal)? How are you going to push Elgin Baylor out and then overpay Baron Davis and trade a solid young center for the overpaid headcase Zach Randolph? Aren't these exactly the kind of moves that you make when Elgin is still around so you can blame him when they don't work out?
The Clippers lost their best player and won 23 games last season. The way it is looking right now, they could be hard-pressed to make much of an improvement on that this year.
