I don’t know how highly people "rate" Al Thornton but I call him "beast in training." If he doesn’t follow in the inglorious Clipper footsteps of Danny Manning, Norm Nixon, Ron Harper, Shaun Livingston, etc. and blow out a knee or an Achilles he is going to be frightening to watch pretty soon.

Yes, Camby is more redundant on a team that already has a legit center in Chris Kamen, Teams would be smart to try to run on a Clips team that sports a front line of Kamen/Camby/Thornton with the defensively challenged Baron Davis at the point and perhaps rookie Eric Gordon on the wing. But here's a trade proposal I think would be great for both clubs: Camby and Cuttino Mobley to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion. The Matrix would be a perfect fit between Kamen and Thorton, provide Davis and Gordon (and Thorton) with a dyamite running mate, and be the jack of defenders he was in Phoenix. Granted, Marion's weird unhappiness with the perfect situation he was given in Phoenix, and at an inflated salary, is troubling in terms of him being a veteran leader in LA, and a contract agreement (or a sign and trade after an extension by Miami) would have to be worked out. But with Davis/Marion/Kamen as your nucleus and Eric Gordon and perhaps Deandre Jordan in your future, the Clips could make some noise in the tough Western Conference.

Skip Bayless just dumped all over Elton Brand for having no honor on First take on ESPN. It's rather interesting that Bayless, of everyone out there, seems to believe Brand went back on his word. The idea that Elton Brand gets such a free pass for such terrible deceit is a little disturbing, but welcome to sports circa 2008.

No Shot Whatsoever: The Golden State Warriors made a bold move yesterday, counting on the fact that in order for the LA Clippers to make the $65 million offer that Baron Davis has agreed to means the Clippers have verbally agreed to renouncing the rights to Elton Brand to get the deal done. That makes the Warriors $90 million offer roughly $15 million more that the Clippers have to offer. Informed Clippers sources say Elton has already agreed to the framework of a returning deal, that it was discussed and agreed upon. The sticking point for the Clippers are not terms of a new deal, rather putting together all the pieces in the right order to maximize the opportunity. The Miami HEAT are rumored to have made an aggressive sign-and-trade push for Brand, and the 76ers made contact as well. Informed league sources say they were turned away as Brand wants to return to the Clippers. The Warriors are hoping that $15 million more will be enough to get a discussion, but things may already be wrapped up. A league source confided that a sign-and-trade with Baron Davis is still not out of the question, and that the reason Corey Maggette has not accepted a deal is he too may find the Clippers willing to broker a deal for him, if it can return them a piece. Source say that part of this game is getting everyone comfortable with the loss of the asset, and then reaching a deal that gets everyone what they wanted, pointing to Seattle and Orlando's deal last year in which the Sonics got some draft picks for getting Rashard Lewis an extra year. The drama with the Clippers is not over, it just remains to be seen if Golden State can get anything out of the loss of Baron Davis, and it does not look like that will be Elton Brand.

The penny-pinching and over-cautiousness never seems to end for LA's little brother team. Undoubtedly, Livingston's injuries are a major concern, and the Clips should have been looking to be wary of overpaying him to too great an extent. But not even a qualifying offer? This guy was drafted as their franchise point guard. He has an immense supply of physical tools. He's still 22 years old!

Shaun Livingston will become a free agent next week when the Clippers decline to tender him a qualifying offer and is still rehabilitating from a devastating knee injury.