Dunleavy to lose GM role?

[Andrew]

It could be merely tabloid fodder, but from this article:

Several NBA sources said the Clippers are quietly considering relieving coach/general manager Mike Dunleavy of his GM duties and bringing in someone else. Rumored candidates include former Heat GM Randy Pfund, a former Lakers coach, and ex-Lakers and Grizzlies GM and Hall of Famer Jerry West.

Dunleavy being relieved of his duties, should that part of the rumour prove to be true, is neither surprising nor necessarily newsworthy but the prospect of the Clippers hiring Jerry West is certainly eye-catching. At this point it's something to be taken with more than a grain of salt since it wouldn't be the first time Jerry West has been arbitrarily linked to a potential front office vacancy but if that's at all a possibility it would be interesting to see if he'd be the one to change the Clippers' fortunes and reputation. It would be a tall order despite his credentials, but he did a pretty good job with the Grizzlies so if it happens I have to believe it will be good news for the franchise.

[Patr1ck]

If that happens I will actually attend more games. I attended a few in the past couple seasons and they were trying to get me to go to more games this season. Jerry West could definitely put to rest any speculation of whether the Clippers owner or GM Elgin Baylor were the reason for the Clippers continued suckage. I don't think Dunleavy sucks so much as a GM, since this is his first season as one, I think. I just want him away from the Clips, period. I'll take Randy Pfund as the coach and West as the GM.

[Lamrock]

So this means that teams looking to dump their overpaid big men will need to look elsewhere for second rounders?

[Modifly]

Let's hope this is true. Dunleavy is the one screwing the Clippers up. With that kind of roster, they should have been way better this season.

[benji]

Yeah, instead of on pace to win 18 games, they should've been on pace to win 25 games.

The question is, we know Baylor was pushed out of power, did he make the stupid decision to waste money on Baron Davis, Ricky Davis and Marcus Camby? Or was that Dunleavy's doing? I'm not sure if the Randolph trade is as horrible of decision making, even though it's still really really really bad.

[Andrew]

Jerry West could definitely put to rest any speculation of whether the Clippers owner or GM Elgin Baylor were the reason for the Clippers continued suckage.

Exactly what I was thinking. If West was to take over the role it wouldn't be fair to expect a miracle overnight but if the same kind of blunders are being made under his watch then we could probably assume it was less a matter of incompetence on Baylor's part and more a case of his hands being tied/his hand being forced by Donald Sterling.

[Alejandrov011]

Whi not they relieve him of the franchise?


I think it is the best move they can do

[Patr1ck]

The Clippers must be doing really bad financially. I got two emails with 60% off certain tickets for the last few home games. The lowest price available after savings was $4. Most seats were at an angle behind the baskets.

[Andrew]

Whi not they relieve him of the franchise?

How can they? He rightfully and legally owns it and can run it however he sees fit, no matter how badly that may be. I think the best Clippers fans could hope for is that he gets tired of losing money and loses his interest in owning a basketball team and ends up selling the team to someone who will turn things around (if indeed Sterling is ultimately the problem). It doesn't seem likely right now though.

[benji]

Sterling doesn't lose money, he's one of the best at turning a profit on professional sports. The team is worth 20 times more than what he paid for it, even with inflation.



And the team has basically no debt. (Part of why he won't move the team, Staples Center sharing is part of that.)
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/32/biz ... s_DOV.html

[Andrew]

My mistake, for some reason I had the Clippers down as being amongst the teams recently reported to be borrowing money from the league.

[Patr1ck]

Is 59.3 million operating income for the Bulls good?

Sterling has definitely been about business with the Clips. As time goes on, fans will eventually tire of the strategy of spending big money once a decade in order to build a playoff team only to let it die to another half decade at the bottom of the pacific division.

[benji]

At the same time he's been smart in not throwing his money away at non-stars like Olowokandi, Odom, Miles, Loy Vaught, Lamond Murray, Lorenzen Wright, Richardson, Maurice Taylor, Jeff McInnis, etc. while the talking heads have screamed that "he can't let Olowokandi/McInnis/Taylor get away!!"

For all we know, he may have called right again on Brand.

Shelling out for Davis and Camby is probably as bad as the Mobley and Thomas moves. But the team thought it could be in the playoffs deep again if Brand was just healthy and they had a point guard. (And then Camby as the panic Brand replacement.)

[Dan's Brain]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4016566

uh-oh. Just when you thought things couldnt get worse for the Clips, a certain former Knicks GM throws his hat into the ring.

[Andrew]

MIght as well have kept Elgin Baylor on in some capacity if Thomas is in the mix. Also of note, that article mentions that Jerry West basically said thanks but no thanks to the role.