LA Clippers Blake Griffin and Chris Paul have turned the teams losing ways around to winning - Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA photo

LA Clippers Chris Paul has proved to be the glue to pull the team together and start their winning ways - NBA photo

The Atlanta Falcons Tony Gonzalez has set NFL records during his 16 year NFL career BUT did you know what he has in common with NBA star Jason Kidd? - Journalist 3rd Class Ryan C. McGinley, USN photo

SPORTS NOTES - CLIPPER FLIPPERS - TURN THEIR BEAT AROUND

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

Prior to the start of the season the LA Lakers were supposed to be the leagues SUPER TEAM when they acquired Superman center Dwight Howard and former NBA Player of the Year Steve Nash to compliment Kobe Bryant. That was then and this is now their cross town rival LA Clippers 28-8 are tied with the leagues best record and are 13 games ahead of the Lakers 15-21 in the Conference standing. Presently the Lakers are out of the playoff picture while the maturation of the Clippers super duo Chris Paul and Blake Griffin has come to fruition in their second season playing together - NFL's Tony Gonzalez

Sunday, January 13, 2013

THE NEW CLIPPERS WINNING WAYS

For decades the Los Angeles Clippers have been languishing in the shadows of their cross town rivals LA Lakers. This season was to again be the season for the Lakers to be top dog after they signed center Dwight Howard aka Superman and perennial all star and former NBA Players of the Year guard Steve Nash to compliment Kobe Bryant.

The situation brings back what John Wooden said to me in 1991 regarding how he chose his teams that won a record 10 NCAA championships including seven in a row. Wooden said that the best players don't necessarily make the best team. He chose players that he felt would fit together as a team including having role players. Apparently thus far the Lakers have lost the plot in their golden efforts to be the best team in the league has turned to tin.

The Clippers made some major moves last season in signing Chris Paul to compliment Blake Griffin. That was the luck of the draw as the NBA disallowed the trade reasoning that it would make the Lakers too strong to compete against thus the Clippers found themselves in the drivers seat when they signed Paul who brought his tough streetwise attitude.

The Paul, Griffin duo has matured but the Lakers assemblage of superstars has fallen apart and the seal appear to have soured. At the time of this writing were 13 games behind the Clippers in the conference standings as well has being tied with the Oklahoma Thunder with the best record in the league. The duo sailed through the month of December undefeated with a team record 16 wins and added a 17th straight in January before the Denver Nuggets put an end to it winning 92-78.

The teams winning ways enabled coach Vinny Del Negro to be awarded the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for December. As the Lakers continue to have their season sour due to injuries, a coaching change and the lack of team chemistry the Clippers appear to be getting stronger and gaining more confidence.

Confidence wasn't in the Clippers DNA. During the early 90's a member of the team related to me that when the teams attended a party together the Clippers were pretty much shunned while the Lakers players were catered to. It was a stigma that has dominated for four decades.

What lies ahead for the Clippers is the return from injury two of the leagues long time best players Grant Hill and Chauncey Billups. They should be healthy enough to be ready for the playoffs adding a wealth of maturity, skill and experience. Both have plenty of playoff experience. Billups was a key member of the 2004 Detroit Pistons NBA title winning team. So what's up for the fortunes of the Lakers and the Clippers... stay tuned.

Trivia Q's:

1. Four current NBA coaches were formerly played with the LA Clippers. Who are they and what teams do they currently coach?

2. Since moving to Los Angeles the Clippers have had better records and fished ahead in the standing than The LA Lakers. What years did they do that?

3. Prior to moving to LA what are the cities the club previously called home?

DID YOU KNOW?

NFL

What do the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL (National Football League) tight end Tony Gonzalez and long time NBA star and current member of the New York Knicks Jason Kidd have in common?

They were teammates on the University of California basketball team. Gonzalez was a forward while Kidd ran the squad from his usual guard position. The 6'5"Gonzalez played both sports while at Cal but his football skills won out in his decision to pursue an NFL career.

During his junior year he played in 28 games, averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as California made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Eventually, Gonzalez had to choose between basketball and football. On the difficulty of the transition between the two, he said "you get done playing football and then you transition to basketball [which] had already been going for a month," but ultimately "the decision was pretty much made for me..."

Gonzalez decided to forego his final year of eligibility to declare for the NFL Draft. It was a good decision as his size is small for an NBA forward but a formidable size for an NFL end. Gonzalez is a thirteen-time Pro Bowl selection, currently holds the NFL records for TD receptions (103) and total reception yards (14,268) by a tight end.

MORE DID YOU KNOW:

Grant Hill's father Calvin Hill was an All-pro running back with the Dallas Cowboys. Both father and son attended highly respected schools recognized for having high academic standards. Calvin attended Yale an Ivy League school and Grant studied at Duke.

TRIVIA ANSWERS:

Doc Rivers coaches the Boston Celtics, Mark Jackson coaches the Golden State Warriors, Mike Woodsen coaches the New York Knicks and Larry Drew coaches the Atlanta Hawks

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