So, I guess Dunleavy's the coach...

by WestsideBrandon on May 2, 2009 8:38 AM PDT Comment 16 comments

I have tried to stay away from all things Clipper for the past month or so. Luckily for me, baseball season came around and the Dodgers look really good this year. Even with the allure of May baseball, though, I can't take my mind off of the Clippers. Since about the halfway point of last season (thank FSM it's last season now), it seemed like the general consensus was to get Mike Dunleavy out of here. Even though the Clippers are a completely incompetent organization, we waited. The indicators seemed to be that he would be fired in the offseason, especially with the discontent of the fans at the season ticket holder meeting. However, nothing has happened, and I didn't think it would get this far.

Make no mistake, I don't expect anything from this organization after the debacle that resulted from last year. However, I just never thought that I'd have to see Dunleavy on the sideline anymore. You know that feeling where you fully expect something to happen, but it never does. It's kind of an empty feeling, and it's starting to bother me. I know that this organization will do whatever it takes to make money, but it would seem to me that the way to make money would be to sell tickets and that the way to sell tickets for a struggling team would be to make some kind of gesture to the fans that the team is going in a different direction. The easiest way to do this is to fire the coach, as evidenced by EVERY OTHER TEAM IN THE NBA. However, DTS must have his golden calculator telling him that the way to continue to profit from the Clippers is to hold on to Dunleavy instead of eating his contract.

I know that firing Dunleavy isn't going to solve all of the Clipper problems, but it's a start for an organization that seems to care very little about its fan base. There is just no hope for this team anytime in the near future. At least I had some hope at the beginning of last year with Baron and Camby coming in. Even though my hopes came crashing down like a ton of bricks, it's better to have that feeling than not. This year, I'm resigned to the fact that the team will be another trainwreck that probably won't get to 20 wins. Firing Dunleavy would at least show me that the team wants to go in the right direction. Unfortunately, it seems as if this issue has cooled down and everyone is just accepting the fact the MDsr will be the coach...again.

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i agree

with everything you have to say. i look at the sports page first thing every morning hoping to read that dunleavy has been fired, only to be left with that empty feeling that he’s still the coach. as you stated this organization cares very little about it’s fan base. and until dts fires or remove dunleavy as coach what else can we do? we accept that this organization is out of touch or move on.

by cars50 on May 2, 2009 9:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

well if it does happen, its not going to be in the newspaper. Instead, an article about kobes new haircut !

by andrewexd on May 5, 2009 10:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who cares?

I know I am one of the few MDSr defenders here…but it appears him and Baron have formed some sort of rapport now. Is it a good idea to bring in a rookie coach and have Baron undermine another coach? I know the only coach that will satisfy Clips Nation is Mike D’Antoni….but that’s not going to happen.

This is going to be my team, and we're going to rise together.
-Clipper Darrell

by oasisman on May 2, 2009 12:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I would disagree

There are a number of gms and coaches that would work. And BD is just being a professional.

by Jax on May 2, 2009 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

I’m pretty much cool with anyone who isn’t Mike Dunleavy at this point, even just because getting rid of him would be a symbolic gesture that this organization realizes that changes needed to be made.

"If a Clippers fan is reading a newspaper in his living room and the ceiling falls on him, he'll just shrug and move to another room." -Bill Simmons

by WestsideBrandon on May 4, 2009 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

sorry oasisman

not this conversation again. LOL. I didnt mean to bring D’Antoni as our only savior, but I’d think that just about any coach could coach a team with Baron Davis, eric Gordon, Al thornton, Zach Randolph, Camby, Kaman, Fred Jones, Steve Novak, ( you name it) should be able to win more than 20 games in this league.

Do i feel bad for Dunleavy, yes. The last game, in which he got tossed, i saw Dunleavy upfront, fans encouraging the dismissal of Dunleavy, and prefering Kim Hughes, only to find that Kim wasn’t going to do as a great job either. However, for me, i always thought Kim Hughes would do a better job than Dunleavy. Sorry, but i remmeber there was this game once where the Clippers were down by 20, then Dunleavy got tossed, and Hughes was able to lead the team back into victory.

However, aside from the Dunleavy bashing, I think that Dunleavy is a great scout tracker. He has the ability to see potential in Thornton and Gordon.. although he did a horrible, and i mean flat out horrible job in Yoraslav Koralev. That was the biggest risk that I’ve ever seen anyone take, and it seriously sucked that we picked a nobody. Shaun Livingston was alright, but I didn’t completely see a great pick in him. Was he a great passed? Most definitley. But one thing that Livingston never had was his shooting game and i think the Clippers should have aimed for a player with more upside, but i still like Livingston, dont get me wrong.

To add on to your article, i think maybe, and im praying, although not literally because im not religious, that Donald T Sterling is looking for a head coach first before a GM. To see Dunleavy as a head coach is too much, but seeing him working the GM is better than head coach.

Unless, maybe, DTS is holding onto Dunleavy long enough for the draft, then fire his ass! Lets just hope its not Isiah.

by JackduhSun on May 4, 2009 1:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I dont think im hughes coached that game. There was some other dude, Kim Hughes was sitting on the bench all game.

by andrewexd on May 5, 2009 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it just comes down to this. mike dunleavy sucks. Its apparent this team cannot make the playoffs and its time to rebuild and it wont happen if mike dunleavy is making moves to simply save his ass.

by andrewexd on May 5, 2009 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Clipper Fan Base

I know that firing Dunleavy isn’t going to solve all of the Clipper problems, but it’s a start for an organization that seems to care very little about its fan base – Westside Brandon

First off, its not a question whether they care little, its they dont care at all. I think the Clippers have determined that its easier just to sell tickets to all the transplants from around the country that now live in LA. People are going to come see the Lebrons, Kobes, Wades etc regardless of how good or bad our team is.

In the event we ever do become respectable and make a playoff series within the next decade they know fans will come out of the woodwork and buy tickets (see 2006).

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on May 4, 2009 3:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Season Ticket Renewals

Could be a big wake up call. The Clippers made enough off-season moves to create a lot of buzz and hope for last year, though it turned out they sold a ton of tickets to STH’s for about triple the price of their street value.

They’re definitely not gonna be able to pull off that same trick again next season in terms of season ticket renewals, but the calculation Sterling is banking on here (and probably correctly) is that he wouldn’t make the money back on ticket sales to cover the cost of replacing Dunleavy next year. It looks like Sterling will try to get by on the minimum, which will be to turn to an interim coach in season if necessary, just 1 year too late. While many owners would be willing to step in here and take a financial loss for the good of the franchise, Sterling is just not willing to do it.

Definitely agree with the point that the Clippers provide an arena to watch NBA basketball in a great market & arena, at a reasonable price, which is unfortunately precisely why Sterling can get away with this.

by ghost_ride on May 4, 2009 4:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I dont think sterling is just ‘banking’ on it. Im sure he has someone figure all this out. However, even the most loyal fans are saying they wont renew season tickets and I dont blame them. And I dont think the clippers will have attendance again until they start winning. The clippers did themselves a huge disservice by selling their own tickets at 1/3 of the price on game day. Imagine a STH talking to their rep. “Yes I would love to once again pay full price of tickets your organization is selling for 1/3 of the price, thanks for calling.”

personally I dont understand why anyone would buy season tickets in the first place unless your team is a perennial power house and you cant get tickets otherwise.

by andrewexd on May 5, 2009 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, but there only 1 lebron, 1 wade and 1 kobe. There are only 2 reasons to go to a OKC/LAC game.

1. season ticket holder
2. the clippers are winning

STh’s are starting to drop fast and obviously 2 isnt happening so far.

by andrewexd on May 5, 2009 10:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The lottery

From talking to my ticket rep it seems that the team is praying on landing the 1st or 2nd pick. My rep took care of me really well this year, but after the season it was all about the lottery. He mentioned that it always used to be that people would give their tickets up because of the team, this year however was because of Dunleavy. If anything is going to happen it’s going to be after the lottery. Ticket renewal deadline is May 22nd, 3 days after the lottery. If we lose the lottery they may have to make a move.

It used to be that we always waited for that one big free agent signing or the stud in the draft that could turn the team around. This year losing the draft may benefit us the most.

by Hooch20 on May 4, 2009 6:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Interesting

That could very well be, but I’d still hope we get one of the top 2 picks. Somehow I don’t see ticket renewals skyrocketing even if we get another high draft pick. The Clippers are just being incredibly stubborn by not lowering ticket prices. Everyone knows they’re not worth the face value, and that it’s a pretty big longshot for them to rise to that printed level over the course of the season.

by ghost_ride on May 4, 2009 11:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

if your leaning on a draft pick that you dont even have to make your team more attractive theres something wrong. No matter who we get, Mike Dunleavy is probably going to bench him until someone gets injured which is going to happen alot. Ever notice bad teams have a lot of injuries? well mike dunleavy is going to have more injury excuses next year.

by andrewexd on May 5, 2009 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

eddie jordan

is owed 4million by the wizards next season, whatever team he coaches next season the wizards have to make up the difference in his salary. c’mon sterling sign him already.

by cars50 on May 14, 2009 8:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs