HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: What a waste of a poster job!

Yesterday, Los Angeles Clippers superstar Blake Griffin caught the ball off a pick-and-roll, elevated, and dunked on the Phoenix Suns’ Gortat, who, to his credit, was bravely providing help defense.

Hold off on the youtube clip.

The referees believed Gortat was set, so they called a charging foul on Griffin. The infraction was the Rookie of the Year candidate’s sixth, meaning he had fouled out the game.

Worst of all, it negated a facial of epic proportion.

To be fair, the play happened quickly; however, the zebras in black-and white missed that Gortat’s feet were inside the circle.

Translation: Gortat should’ve been called for a block, and Griffin’s highlight reel jam should’ve counted.

What do you think? Charge or block? Watch the clip and get at us in the comment box below with thoughts!   
 

--Oly Sandor.

Blake Griffin is concerned with the way Donald Sterling manages the Clippers and is monitoring the situation, according to sources.

Sterling recently testified in Elgin Baylor's lawsuit against the Clippers for wrongful termination and the owner also had a mishap related to an advertisement for Black History Month that was actually scheduled for March and included Griffin's picture.

On March 3rd, the United States Patent and Trademark Office received an application by a Nevada corporation seeking exclusive rights to use the name "Los Angeles Royals." Another application filed the same day reserves the name "Anaheim Royals." The city of Anaheim, which owns the Honda Center, has reportedly insisted that any team playing there carry the city's name.

The web domains losangelesroyals.com and anaheimroyals.com have also been registered within the past three weeks. A name change would help the team avoid confusion with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: They are about to become the NBA team formerly known as the Sacramento Kings.

Recent evidence suggests Sacramento is on the verge of moving to the Anaheim/Los Angeles area, and owners Geoff and Gavin Maloof have officially trademarked the name Royals.

While Sacramento has obvious arena challenges, can Los Angeles really support three professional basketball franchises? Furthermore, is being the third fish in the Anaheim/Los Angeles pond behind the Clippers and Lakers better than being the only fish in the tiny Sacramento pond?

Clearly, the Kings think so. And it seems Sacramento’s NBA team is about to become no more.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Instead of being the posterizer, he got posterized.

Yesterday, Blake Griffin, the Los Angeles Clippers’ star rookie and 2011 Slam Dunk Champion, finally got the facial treatment, courtesy of the Washington Wizards’ Javale McGee.

Of course, McGee was the runner-up to Griffin in last month’s Slam Dunk extravaganza.

Watch the video clip and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below.


--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The Clippers could have traded Baron Davis and their number one pick in the 2011 NBA Draft that was used to acquire Mo Williams and Jamario Moon in a similar deal for the expiring contract of Yao Ming, according to Bill Simmons.

The Lakers (30-12) were also outrebounded and outmuscled, part of the reason Odom grabbed Griffin's jersey after Griffin bulled into him while getting position after a free throw in the final seconds.

Griffin wasn't pleased with the jersey grab and neither was Baron Davis, who started jawing at Odom, which led to some seriously harsh words between Davis and Odom as four players got ejected (Griffin, Davis, Odom and, curiously, Artest, whose apparent crime was trying to pull Odom away from the fray).

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: A rivalry is brewing.

Yesterday, the lowly Clippers beat the two-time world champion Lakers in the battle for The City of Angeles.

However, the Clippers’ 99-92 win was only one part of the story. Blake Griffin, the runaway favourite for Rookie of the Year, was involved in an end-of-game shoving match with the Lakers' Lamar Odom.

Mr. Khloe Kardashian took exception to Griffin trying to gain position on a missed free-throw when the game was decided. Then all hell broke loose.

Fortunately, the good folks at youtube have the highlight reel for your viewing pleasure. Click the link and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below. 

--Oly Sandor.
 

Sterling: You don't want to hear what I have to say.

Stern. Yes, we do.

Sterling. No you don't.

Stern: Yes, we do.

Sterling: OK, I would fire you. You're great at marketing, but you're not tough enough with the union.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: I can’t believe I’m doing this. I’m defending Commissioner David Stern.

Reports indicate Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling told ‘The Commish’ he would fire him because he wasn’t tough enough on the Player’s Union.

Let’s consider the source: Sterling has no issue bashing his players from his courtside seats; Sterling (allegedly) has no issue watching the very same players shower; Sterling has been sued for sexual harassment and there’s ample evidence to suggest he’s racist.

The Clippers, like their owner, are a mess. Despite having some talent, they consistently underachieve. Some of their personnel decisions are flat-out laughable.

Ironically, Sterling has done quite well from the financial system Stern created. After all, The Don avoids the luxury tax and rakes in millions from having a team in a major market with a great stadium.

Conservative estimates have him making $75 million profit since moving to Staples Center. He may have made twice that amount.

So Sterling has nothing to complain about. In fact, Stern, the 29 other owners, and fans have every reason to try and fire him.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe news in the comment box below.

"DONALD STERLING would bring women into the locker room after games, while the players were showering, and make comments such as, 'Look at those beautiful black bodies.' I brought this to Sterling’s attention, but he continued to bring women into the locker room."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Ah Commissioner Stern, are you listening?

It’s officially time for you to move against Donald Sterling, the awful owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Under Sterling’s watch the Clippers have been the Siberia of the NBA. That, however, isn’t the issue. Sterling mistreats people: he’s been taken court for sexual harassment and accused of preferring to rent his many apartments to Caucasians instead of African-Americans and Mexicans.

But Stern couldn’t or wouldn’t use this to rid his league of Sterling. Watching players shower and then making insensitive and racially charged comments is a different matter.

Stern seems determined to make the new Collective Bargaining Agreement his last stand. Fair enough. The league’s financial house needs reworking.

Sterling has to go. Before the Clippers owner creates a mess of Isiah-like proportion.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News with thoughts in the comment box below.

"It's tough because it's the nature of the business,'' Davis said in an interview with FanHouse before the Clippers' 108-103 win over Phoenix on Sunday about the trade rumors surrounding him. "But it's tough because I don't want to leave. I'm here. I came here for a reason. If I were to be traded, I just think that I just never really got a chance to do what I was signed here to do.''

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Well, play like it.

Baron Davis has to play like he wants to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers. At this point, his words are meaningless.

Since signing with the Clippers as a free agent, Davis has made an award winning documentary film, become a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, lost a laptop, and made a classic skit with Steve Nash.

Off-the-court he’s been good. On-court is a different story.

For the better part of two years, Davis has been out of shape, apathetic, and a distraction. In short, he’s stolen money from owner Donald Sterling.

Of course, the NBA is a business. The Clippers have moved on. Davis has been replaced by young Eric Bledsoe in the starting line-up. And high-flying Blake Griffin is the new face of the franchise.

So the Clippers have no need for Davis. Neither do the other 29 teams in the league, who are reluctant to assume the final two years and $29 million on Davis’ contract.

Davis, to an extent, controls his fate, though. He must lose weight. He must start to care again. And he must resemble the player the Clippers signed as a free agent.

Then management may consider Davis’ wishes about staying. Right now, he's an afterthought. 

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
 

Charlotte Bobcats Chairman and CEO Michael Jordan announced today that, effective immediately, Larry Brown is stepping down as head coach of the team.

"I met with Coach Brown two weeks ago about the team’s performance and what we could do to improve it,” said Jordan. “We met again this morning after practice. The team has clearly not lived up to either of our expectations and we both agreed that a change was necessary.

“This was a difficult decision for both of us, but one that needed to be made. I want to thank Larry for everything he has done for our team. He has played a key role in this organization’s development, including coaching us to our first playoff appearance last season. Larry will continue to be a valuable advisor to me regarding the team. The search for a successor will begin immediately.”

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HoopsVibe’s very Quick Call: Forever the nomad.

Larry Brown is out as coach of the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, who have failed to meet expectations after a fine 2010 season.

Brown's departure hardly comes as a surprise. He has never stayed with an organization for long and, despite being under contract with the Bobcats, had interest in openings with the L.A. Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers last summer.

Team Jordan is also terrible, losing by 30 points last night to the John Wall-less Washington Wizards.

Brown had seen enough. On to the next coaching gig for Mr. 'Play The Right Way' –wherever that may be.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s on.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin and the Portland Trail Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge recently set the NBA ablaze with their alley-oops.

Our question is simple: who had the better catch-and-jam?

Do you prefer Blake-Zilla’s aerial antics against those miserable Minnesota Timberwolves? Or, did Aldridge’s poster-job of the Milwaukee Bucks catch your eye?

Watch both clips and get at us in the comment box below with thoughts?

(Blake-Zilla shows no mercy against the Wolves.)

(Aldridge soars against the Bucks.)

--Oly Sandor.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: I can’t get enough of Blake Griffin. 

Even though this highlight clip is from the Clippers-Kings game on Thanksgiving, the powers that be at HoopsVibe News still had to post it. 

Griffin isn’t just a dunker. He can post, pass, score, rebound, and defend. After missing 2010 with micro fracture surgery, fans should give thanks for Blake-Zilla's recovery.

 So click the link and enjoy folks.

 Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: There’s a new aerial assaulter in The City of Angeles.

He isn’t Shannon Brown. And he doesn’t sport the purple-and-gold of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Instead, he suits up for the city’s other team: the Clippers. He was the first overall pick of the 2009 draft. On November 20th, he committed acts against the New York Knicks which are illegal in 32 states, 18 republics, and 11 semi-autonomous territories.

Of course, we’re talking about Blake Griffin. Watch the highlight package below and get at HoopsVibe News with thoughts in the comment box below.

--Oly Sandor. 
 

"The Clippers recently offered Chris Kaman to the Denver Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony and got the same response."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: They couldn’t be more different.

Chris Kaman is from rural Michigan, looks like a dude you’d find at monster truck rally, and has a meat-and-potatoes, low-post game.

Carmelo Anthony was raised in West Baltimore, has a marketable personality, and makes fans drool with the ease in which he puts the ball in the basket.

So naturally Kaman and Anthony may be swapped as part of a deal between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.

(Kaman would be the key part of a Clippers’ package that would likely include draft picks and expiring contracts).

Kaman, if healthy, is a solid, low maintenance center. He posts 20-10 numbers and blocks shots, too. Denver, however, would be hoping Kaman stays on-court and off the injured list.

This may be too great a risk for the Nuggets, especially if they’re parting ways with Anthony, their franchise face. (Recent reports indicate this was why the Nuggets passed on the Clippers' offer.)

This deal would work for the Clippers' marketing department. Melo’s star power would give Donald Sterling’s crew more of a local, national, and international following. 

The on-court dynamic might be more of a struggle.

Anthony would surely tire of chubby, underachieving point guard Baron Davis, who seems more committed to producing movies than winning basketball games.

The other complication is Blake Griffin. Anthony and the 2009 first overall pick are both 3-4 ‘tweeners’. Would these two gel in the frontcourt? And would Anthony hurt Griffin’s development?

Still, Kaman for Anthony is an interesting thought. It's just not a fit for either team.  

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

According to one report, the Nets are not willing to include Brook Lopez in an attempt to trade for Carmelo Anthony. But New Jersey's offer of Devin Harris, Derek Favors and draft picks may still give the Nuggets the best pieces in return for Anthony.

The Nuggets have had discussions with the Bulls that center around Luol Deng and Taj Gibson. The Warriors may offer Stephen Curry, Andris Biedrins and draft picks but are not sure that they will make Curry available. The Clippers are called a long shot with Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon the likely two targets whom Denver would look to acquire.

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"You know, they told me if we built a new practice facility we'd attract all the top players in the game," Sterling adds. "I guess I should have doubled the size of this place."

He's no different than most Clippers fans. "I swear to you, I never heard of these guys," Sterling says, "but what if the coach says he wants them?"

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Just when you thought James Dolan and the New York Knicks hit a league-low with Isiah-gate, cross-coast cousin Donald Sterling and the Los Angeles Clippers set a new low for lameness.

Sterling and his Clippers have always been a laughingstock. And this is again demonstrated by Sterling’s W.P. Kinsella-like vision that ‘if he built his practice facility, he, as in elite free agents, would come’.

Seriously?

Did old man Sterling actually think Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade would line up to play for the Clippers like folks lined up at the end of Field of Dreams because he built a new place to practice?

To quote the great Allen Iverson, ‘we talkin’ bout practice’!  

Facilities play a part in signing the crème de la crème of free agent talent. Winning and sanity trump a shiny, new spot to run wind sprints and pump iron.

Unfortunately, the Clippers have done little winning, despite often having impressive talent. The reason: Sterling lacks sanity.

For instance, last spring, the Clippers’ patriarch fired executive Mike Dunleavy through an Internet letter to fans. Sterling didn’t tell Dunleavy before announcing his decision on the World Wide Web.

Instead of quietly moving forward, Sterling has refused to settle up with Dunleavy and provide an acceptable golden hand shake. The matter is now in court.

Screwing over executives is one thing, but showing up players takes things to a new level.

After all, how hard would it have been for Sterling to bite his tongue and spew out the company line on Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes? 

Sure, neither are superstars. Both can contribute, though. Foye is a legit double-digit scorer, the kind of combo guard every team can use; Gomes is a solid undersized forward, too.

Together, Foye and Gomes will solidify Coach Vinny Del Negro’s bench, giving the Clippers two decent reserve scorers. Best of all, Foye and Gomes took two and three year deals for less than the mid-level exception.

In other words, instead of overpaying free agents, the Clippers preserved cap space and got better.    

Of course, this very simple logic is beyond Sterling. 

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Tracy McGrady underwent a physical with the Clippers on Tuesday and was scheduled to work out for the team on Wednesday. It was reported last week that McGrady would work out for the Clippers on Tuesday.

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The Clippers will bring in Tracy McGrady for a workout next week, Neil Olshey confirmed. The market for McGrady has yet to materialize after he had a mixed performance for the Knicks.

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The Lakers agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the veteran guard, bringing back a steadying locker-room influence and one of their top clutch shooters of the last decade. The contract was believed to be worth about $10.5 million, including a player option in the third year.

"I have decided to continue with Kobe, continue with our teammates and the fans of Los Angeles," Fisher said in a statement. "While this may not be the most lucrative contract I've been offered this off-season, it is the most valuable. I am confident I will continue to lead this team on and off the court. Let the hunt for six begin. . . ."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Listen closely and you’ll hear Laker-nation – led by the great Kobe Bryant - letting out a massive sigh of relief.

After all, the purple-and-gold had to have Derek Fisher. The emphasis is on ‘had to’. It wasn’t optional. 

The veteran is 36 years old, flops like he`s on the Italian national soccer team, has limits on both ends of the floor, and was surprisingly given the security of a three-year deal.

However, Fisher oozes leadership, has Robert Horry style skills down the stretch, and mediates like the UN when resident superstar Kobe Bryant and Coach Phil Jackson have a ‘tiff’.

Best of all, he can groom his replacement Steve Blake. Like Fisher, Blake is an assassin disguised as a nice guy.

Sure, the former University of Maryland star looks like he should be leading the Dungeons and Dragons club at the local comic shop instead of Jackson’s triple-post set or playing internet chess on Friday evenings instead of the cross-town Clippers.

Don’t get it twisted: Blake is a good guy off-court, but feisty as hell on it. In December of 2007, he sparked the Blazers’ turnaround by breaking chairs and fighting teammates at a now infamous practice. And he’s also known to dabble in mixed martial arts –for fun.

Look for Fisher to take to Blake. Look for Fisher to groom Blake. And this will cement Fisher’s legacy long after he’s gone.

This will be a great relief for Laker-nation.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe`s Very Quick Call: Remember Blake Griffin?

Last year`s first overall pick in the NBA draft missed the entire season with an injured knee. However, Griffin is on the mend, and using some unconventional methods with his rehab.

In this video, the Clippers` future power forward works out with Jared the Subway dude and shares his thoughts with DimeTV on the upcoming season.

Check out the video and get at us with thoughts on Griffin`s future in the comment box below.  

Got thoughts?

Tom Izzo is apparently closer to saying yes to the Cleveland Cavaliers than previously thought, a source told ESPN.com's Andy Katz on Thursday.

"Three weeks ago that wasn't the case, but it has changed,'' said the source.

Izzo is meeting with Cleveland to discuss the team's coaching vacancy on Thursday.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Right now, Tom Izzo is wrong for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Izzo is a great college coach. In time, he may defy the NCAA-to-pro curse and develop into a great NBA coach. With LeBron James' pending free agency, now isn't appropriate for the Cavaliers to gamble on a sideline boss who has never coached an NBA game.

Imagine James' position on July 1st when he hits free agency. Think of his choices on the bench: the New York Knicks have former Coach of the Year and Team USA assistant Mike D'Antoni; the New Jersey Nets just landed former Coach of the Year Avery Johnson; the Miami Heat - if need be - will bring Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley out of the executive suite; the Chicago Bulls recently hired defensive guru Tom Thibodeau; and the L.A. Clippers will even let James pick his coach and GM.

With these options available, why would James re-sign with Cleveland and a green Izzo? These two aren't buddies like James and University of Kentucky coach John Calipari. And Izzo, while talented, isn't Duke's Mike Krzyzkewski.

King James wants to win now. A rookie NBA coach, even one with Izzo's resume at Michigan State, may be just enough for him to leave the Cavaliers and sign elsewhere.

Will Izzo scare away LeBron? 

Usually in professional sports, the coach is selling the free agent player on his team as a potential destination. The Los Angeles Clippers are prepared to take a different approach. As the only team without a coach that doesn't appear to be looking, reports say that the Clippers are prepared to offer big-name free agents something in addition to the maximum contract: pick your own coach. That's right, the plan in Los Angeles might be to use the coaching vacancy as an additional draw to free agents like Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and even Lebron James. They all know they will get the maximum salary, but where else can they pick their coach?

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HoopsVibe Call: It's why the Clippers are the Clippers. And it's why they'll remain a league laughingstock.

Despite having talented players, coaches, and executives, Los Angeles' other team can't get their act together. Allowing star free agents like Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and even Dwyane Wade to pick their next coach is another example of their lunacy.

Good organizations don't let the inmates - regardless of how talented Bosh, James, and Wade are - run the asylum. For instance, in San Antonio, Tim Duncan has always deferred to coach Gregg Popovich, which forces his teammates to listen to the veteran sideline boss.

Across town, Kobe Bryant, like it or not, follows Laker coach Phil Jackson -even though he oftens seems more like the duplicitous Machiavelli than the peaceful Zen-Master. And Michael Jordan also followed Jackson when they won six NBA Titles with the Chicago Bulls.

Having a player - regardless of how great he is - select their next coach makes that coach a subordinate. And this is a recipe for disaster. Of course, leave it to the Clippers, one of the worst organizations in pro sport, to make this blunder.

Should Bosh, James, or Wade get to pick the Clippers' next coach? Should any player get to pick his coach? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts.