How's That Trade Working Out For You?

Clipper's Head Coach Vinny Del Negro/AP Images

The Los Angeles Clippers are struggling recently, and head coach Vinny Del Negro’s job is now on the line.  


By Braedan Ritter


The Clips are still in second place in the Pacific division and fourth in the West, which for the Clippers sounds like an amazing season. But that isn’t the case anymore. After being a sub-500 team for 17 of the last 18 years, the Clippers are expected to win instantly.


They were doing that in the beginning of the season, winning, 15 of their first 22. But now things have changed; They’ve won just four of their last ten, including losses to the Hornets, Suns and Warriors.


The problems have been directed at head coach Vinny Del Negro. Del Negro is still a young coach, and one that has many weaknesses; mainly his late-game decision making. He started off with the Bulls in 2008-2009, going 41-41 in both his seasons there, with a young Derrick Rose. But the Bulls got rid of Del Negro, and received a major upgrade with Tom Thibodeau and his defensive scheme. In Thibodeau’s first year, the Bulls won an NBA best 62 games.


Del Negro signed with the Clippers that same off-season and went 32-50 in his first season in Los Angeles. That losing record was alright at that time, because the Clippers were a perpetual bottom feeder, using the excitement of Blake Griffin to sell tickets. But things have drastically changed this season, thanks to the Chris Paul trade.


In a recent post on ESPN LA, Kevin Arnovitz explains the problem with the Clippers: “[T]here's a profound disparity between the goals of the Clippers pre- and post-Chris Paul. Getting a young team to the playoffs is no longer the job description for "Clippers coach," and expectations for the Clippers have accelerated at a pace too fast for Del Negro, whose coaching experience is still comparatively thin when you look around the league at teams that call themselves contenders.”


Del Negro was brought into a drastically different situation than he finds himself now. The Clips have made the playoffs just four times in the last 20 years, losing in the first round three of those times. The seemingly continuous rebuilding and decimation of the “other Los Angeles team” is over. With two stars on the team, the Clippers expectations have shifted, and Del Negro isn’t the guy to help realize these new goals.


There are coaches available that can get the job done. Newly unemployed Mike D’Antoni and Nate McMillan come to mind. So does Jeff Van Gundy. And even more will be available when the off-season comes.


The question now seems to be when, not if, Del Negro will be replaced in Los Angeles. Will they let him finish out the season, or pull the plug and try to right the ship immediately? 

Charlotte is Sinking: Wait No, They’ve Hit Rock Bottom

Kemba Walker (right)/AP Images

The Charlotte Bobcats' record is worse than The Wizards...like is that even possible? Well yea.

By Matt Rose

To say the Charlotte Bobcats are a shipwreck is a dramatic understatement. It is more like they are on a boat lost in the Pacific Ocean with fifteen inexperienced crew members, the boat is taking water, they have nothing but a compass that Michael Jordan is holding—and he has no clue how to read it. That extended metaphor probably made no sense to you, so I’ll say it bluntly: the Bobcats are short on talent and even shorter on potential.

In recent years, “rock bottom” in the NBA is considered having a worse record than the Wizards. The Wizards have rallied to improve to 4-20; the Bobcats are 3-21. Welcome to rock bottom Charlotte, make yourself comfortable because you aren’t going anywhere.

I will grant Charlotte fans that their record would be better if they had not been plagued by injuries, but only if in return they admit to me that they’re screwed for the near future. G Kemba Walker has displayed some signs of brilliance, and may be a star in the future. Also, G DJ Augustin has played well again this season when healthy, but the Bobcats cannot expect to build around two players that stand 6’ and 6’1,’’ respectively.

Outside of Walker and Augustin, the Bobcats have a team of role players. F Gerald Henderson is having a great year, but it is mostly a result of the Bobcats needing to find someone who can score and he is all they have.

It will not be easy for the Bobcats to become competitive again. They are on pace to win the Anthony Davis sweepstakes, but it is never a guarantee a rookie will pan out. They have cap room to make moves in free agency, but they are a small market team. Even worse, they traded Gerald Wallace, a player that gave so much to the young franchise and loved Charlotte. Wallace’s emotional and unwilling departure should, and will, turn away prospective free agents. So for now the Bobcats are going to sit at rock bottom; maybe they will get lucky and some of their young players will reach their potential. What is more likely is that the Bobcats will linger at the bottom of the East for quite some time. After all, they are one of the poorest run franchises in the league.