Los Angeles Clippers Notes, Quotes 2008-11-28 News Los Angeles Clippers

--The Clippers have dipped into the D-League ranks numerous times during Mike Dunleavy's six years as the coach. Some of the players that the Clippers have brought up are guards Randy Livingston, Andre Barrett, Will Conroy and forward Nick Fazekas. But not once have the Clippers assigned a player to the D-League. There was at least one prime opportunity to do so, when the Clippers had 18-year old rookie forward Yaroslav Korolev on the team in 2005-2006. But he stayed on the roster the entire year, even though he was a designated inactive player for most of the season. Clippers assistant general manager Neil Olshey recently explained that the primary reason why the Clippers have not sent anyone down to the D-League is because they don't own their own affiliate, like their rivals, the Lakers, do. The Lakers own the Los Angeles D-Fenders, who play in Staples Center and also practice at the Lakers' El Segundo facility. Olshey said it has made more sense for the Clippers' rookies to practice with the team and learn the system, rather than go down to a D-League team that runs entirely different schemes.

--The Clippers' 2-12 start was their worst since the lockout shortened 1998-99 season, in which they began 0-17 and 1-22. That team finished with a forgettable 9-41 record. The primary players on that team were Maurice Taylor, Eric Piatkowski and Lamond Murray. The NBA's first overall pick in the 1998 draft was Clippers' rookie center Michael Olowokandi. The only players still active in the NBA from that team are forward Lorenzen Wright, who is with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and forward-center Brian Skinner, who was a rookie on that 1998-99 Clippers' team. Skinner, who played his first three seasons with the Clippers, is back this year, after playing the previous seven years for seven other NBA teams. Three other players from that team were on NBA rosters last season -- Piatkowski (Phoenix), guard Troy Hudson (Golden State) and guard Darrick Martin (Toronto). In addition, center Keith Closs was in the D-League with the Tulsa 66ers.

--Possessing finishing power has been a major problem during Mike Dunleavy's five previous years as the Clippers' head coach. In his first year, the Clippers finished the 2003-2004 season by losing 14 of their final 15 games. The following year, they were 6-9 down the stretch. In 2005-2006, the year the Clippers reached the playoffs, they went 8-7 in their last 15 games. The next season marked their best season finish, under Dunleavy, when the Clippers went 9-6 to the finish line. But their combined record of 12-13 over the final two months was not good enough to get them into the playoffs. Last year, when injuries decimated the team, the Clippers limped in with a 2-13 finish.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think it would have been a slam dunk, if he had played another five years here." -- Clippers longtime broadcaster Ralph Lawler, when asked if he thought Elton Brand had a chance to have his jersey No. 42 retired someday retired by the Clippers. The Clippers have no numbers in their franchise that are retired.