What up world! It’s the last day of 2009 and I’m sure a majority of you will be out partying and celebrating tonight, if not already, so I’ll keep this short. In what was been a surprisingly positive season so far, (most of us are still buzzing off the win against Boston ) my beloved Los Angeles Clippers already have 13 wins, even in the face of the Blake Griffin injury, a coach named Mike Dunleavy and any other handful of grievances most Clippers fans can name.
Our latest game was a 103-99 loss against the Portland Trailblazers, (even though ESPN says Brandon Roy helped the “Clippers prevail”) whose struggles with the injury bug continued after they lost LeMarcus Aldridge to a sprained ankle in the first quarter. The Clippers trailed most of the game and made a nice run in the 4th only to come up short. Close losses are really tough to swallow, even as we might be happy with the improvements we’ve seen, because you can’t help but wonder how much better our record would be with a different coach, set of rotations and game plans.
ESPN.com toys with the hearts of Clipper nation.
(espn.com screenshot)
Plus, a moral victory is still just another loss in the column, but I’ll point out a few positives anyway. Eric Gordon bounced back from a few below average games to finish with 25 points on 8-11 shooting and also had 5 steals. His 4 turnovers were not good, but this is hopefully a sign that Gordon is finding his touch again. Chris Kaman continues to give solid contributions, stacking up 25 and 9 and you can still count on Marcus Camby to grab about 11 or more boards a game.
Baron Davis had an awful shooting night (2-15) but still finished with 12 points and 11 assists, which has raised his assist average to 9.8 in his last 5 games. It’s always a good thing to see B-Diddy finding his teammates.
The final Clipper game this decade pits Baron against the man he had originally envisioned running alongside when he agreed to come back home to LA – Elton Brand. In what turned out to be an emotionally charged drama that scarred Clips fans, Brand infamously chose Philly, something Clipper Nation hasn’t forgotten.
Tonight marks his first return to his former stomping grounds and he’s sure to hear a animated response from the Staples Center crowd. I’ve been to New Years Eve games before and the party atmosphere and drinks make for an interesting combo, so I’m sure the crowd will be ready. Few athletes have made as quick a turn from revered hero to evil enemy as Brand, so throw in some anger and perceived betrayal in the mix and the fireworks should be out.
The Clippers have lost 3 of 4 and the Sixers are coming in a 2-game winning streak, but the vengeance factor will hopefully propel LA to victory. Love him or hate him, Brand personifies the face of the Clippers this decade along with Dunleavy, so a win tonight and the prompt return of Griffin would be the ideal way to start a whole new era.
Hopefully tonight we can all raise our glasses to a Clipper victory and a new beginning for 2010. Happy New Year!
-Will.
“Diary of a Clippers Fan” will be published Mondays and Thursdays during the regular season.
