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In this series, Bethlehem Shoals and MJD put a non-playoff participant under the microscope and figure out if it's possible for them to move themselves to the shinier side of the playoff bubble in 2008.

MJD: A year ago, the Los Angeles Clippers were one play away from taking out the Suns ... they had a good mix of talented bigs and confident perimeter players, and with a nip here and a tuck there, 2007 should have been the year of the Los Angeles Clippers. Fast forward to this year, the point guard position gets scrambled, Shaun Livingston' knee gets mangled, and they don't even make the postseason. Can they get back to where they were, or is it time to go in a different direction?

Shoals: I think they've got too much there to blow it up. I mean that in a good and bad way; they've got some nice pieces, and at the same time, that team is well-constructed enough that it's kind of all or nothing. They even got Maggette to see the light. I guess you have to chalk this season up to Kaman's slide and the point guard issues. Given how key Sam Cassell was to their run, and how much of the franchise's future was built around Shaun Livingston, that second problem is could be a fatal flaw.

MJD: I think handing the keys to Shaun Livingston next year is about the equivalent of blowing it up. It's not anything against Shaun Livingston, I'm not giving up on him becoming a great player. But Sam gives them an identity, a purpose, and a swagger ... Shaun Livingston just can't. There's no way that the rest of the Los Angeles Clippers look at Shaun Livingston and think, "Yes, this is the guy we trust to run things." If the Los Angeles Clippers want to contend next year, it's got to be Sam.

Shoals: I know Sam Cassell is ageless, or at least has a game that doesn't depend on being spry and limber. But he is somewhat faded from last year, and at some point just being an inspiration at the point isn't enough ( e.g. Gary Payton). Plus Sam Cassell's ability to make big shots is in large part what makes him such a leader. When that starts to slide, can he still get the team riled up? If that team needs to boost their performance for next season--especially playing in the West--having a rickety corpse in the starting line-up might not be a wise choice.

MJD: Well, there's the rub. Shaun Livingston might be the future, but he's not the right now. Sam Cassell definitely isn't the future, but age and injuries permitting, if we're talking about the Los Angeles Clippers getting back in the mix next year ... I think he has to be the right now.

 

 

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