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We Are The Clippers 1988-1995(JSB Retro Dynasty)
I've been playing with JSB for quite a while, I'll try making a dynasty out of it.) I'll be using the default 1988-89 season, with randomized career projection ratings, randomized staff. Beware, I am not a good storyteller... :-P
The Los Angeles Clippers. Formerly the San Diego Clippers, they moved to LA in 1985, dubbed as the "other" Los Angeles Team. The Clippers were the worst team in the entire NBA in the 1987 season, and were pretty much worthless in the 1988 season as well. Code:
1988 NBA 17-65 6th, Pacific DivisionOf course, this didn't matter much, as long as the players were being paid cheap and the fans still bought tickets. Profit was the biggest priority in Clipper-land, and despite having fans that are looking forward to this young team blossom, many feel that the desire for profit and not winning a title, is going to bury this Clipper team into mediocrity. Of course, that was until we came in. Meet San Francisco Wharfing, Inc. We bought out Donald Sterling's cash cow for an unprecedented $35 million. Nearly three times the amount that Sterling paid for the Clippers. I promptly handed over my majority stock options with the SFW, in exchange for being the Clippers General Manager for the next 20 years. The entire NBA was pretty much abuzz with the sale, and my appointment. It came as a shock, a 20-year non-breakable contract? Well, when you run a family business, and the board is practically family as well... I certainly didn't run any risk of losing control of SFW. Afterall, it was my idea to buy us this basketball team anyway. That's how I became General Manager of the Los Angeles Clippers. |
The 1988-89 LA Clippers as rated by team scout, Lucas Bass
Ratings: Code:
po name Team 2ga 2% fta ft% 3ga 3% orb drb ast stl to blk oo do po to od dd pd td ta sk in Contracts: Code:
po name Team age exp ht wt 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 Youth Movement The Clippers will be fielding 7 rookies this season. Notably, Gary Grant and Charles D. Smith will be thrust into the Clipper limelight. Grant is evaluated as a solid player and starter, while Charles Smith is considered as an excellent player. The career outlooks on both players look solid, as Smith is projected to be one of the league's best, while Grant is said to have a solid career as a starter. Danny Manning, despite looking a bit bleak, might have a future, as our scout says that he has excellent intangibles, allowing him to develop quicker as a player. Centerpiece The centerpiece of this Clipper team is SF Ken Norman. Considered by my scout as having a Hall-Of-Fame type potential, and as a legitimate all star this year. Norman is rated as a versatile offensive player, and a solid defender, he's a solid passer and a good ball-handler. At only 25 years of age, Norman looks like he might be the next big thing in Clipper land. PG/SG Quintin Dailey is probably going to team up with Gary Grant to form the backbone of this Clipper back-court. Dailey is 6'3", and has poor handling skills, but he is a solid offensive player. We're paying him about 6 mil this season, the highest paid Clipper. His contract, however, is ending this season, and I doubt we're going to offer him the same amount of money next year. Outlook The season looks pretty bleak. One of our objectives this year is to avoid being the last-placed team in the league once again. We have a solid youth movement going on, and we're going to work with that. If we have a shot at it, we're going to try and make the playoffs, although that looks like it's going to be a pretty lofty goal. |
Nov. 5, 1988 - Miami, FL
This was surreal. I've watched NBA games before, but never in a position like mine. This was to be the very first game of MY Clippers. It was against the Miami Heat. They were 1-2 for the season. Their highest scorer is Rony Seikaly at 13 ppg. They have 5 players scoring in double figures, but noone seems to be able to take over a game. I was hoping for the best for my LA Clippers. The crowd seems pumped, despite their small numbers (estimated about 7000, in a 20,000 capacity arena)... they know that the Clippers sucked last season, and expect their Heat to win tonight. The players walk on to the court. Our line-up for tonight: Grant, Dailey, Norman, Manning and Smith. No true center in the court for the Clippers. Smith lines up with Seikaly, the ball is tipped, and Gary Grant controls the ball, he takes the Heat by surprise and quickly drives into the paint to score! 2-0 Clippers. The game goes on, and after a flurry of plays the Clippers are up 8-4. Grant has taken 5 shots and only made 2, he's looking to take control of the game. I only wish he'd pass the ball more to Norman, who's been itching to score. Grant looks winded, though, and he is immediately sent to the bench to recuperate. The quarter passes by quickly. The buzzer sounds and I look up at the scoreboard. Clippers: 22 - Heat: 8. Gary Grant has 8 points already, and shot 4/9 from the field. Norman only has two points. I was pleased to see that we were up by such a large margin. The 2nd quarter was a different story. The Heat matched us point for point, but they weren't able to cut down on the lead we had built. As halftime rolled around, we were ahead, 55-38. Gary Grant has 16 points. The suprising play of back-up SG Tom Garrick was nice, he has 8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Ken Norman is yet to explode, he only has 4 points in this game, but he does have 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Our guys left the locker room looking like they're ready for a war. The third quarter was pretty much a massacre. Grant finally went to work and distributed the ball. Tom Garrick continued hitting his shots and hustling, while our big men went to work on the boards and the low post. The Heat were befuddled, we outscored them 30-12 in the 3rd quarter, and the scoreboard read 85-50 in favor of the Clippers headed into the final 12 minutes. Fans were streaming out, they were disgusted with the play of their Heat. I had a big smile. This was a blast, a great start for me and my Clippers. The 4th quarter was pretty much routine. We sat down our starters and played our bench. Charles Smith was the only remaining starter in the game and we proceeded to feed him the ball during the homestretch. As the final buzzer sounded, the Clippers were victorious 107-80. I was ecstatic. The game ball goes to Gary Grant. He had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in ONLY 23 minutes of play. Charles Smith had 19 points and 9 rebounds. Ken Norman had 10 points and 8 rebounds. We were just brilliant this game, and we did everything right. We rebounded, and swung the ball around. I only hoped we could show up like this every game. On the plane ride back to LA, I congratulated the players and told them that this was the beginning of a bright future for the Clipper organization. |
Nov. 26 - Los Angeles, CA
After our very first win, I was just so pumped. I called relatives, friends... asked them if they watched the Clippers game on TV. Apparently, the game was only carried by the local Miami TV Stations, so they weren't able to watch the game. The newspapers, however, took notice, and the LA Times sport's page had a big "CLIPPERS WIN OPENER" article towards the lower left portion of the page. Nice. I smile. We lost our next game, against Denver, in Colorado. Superstar SF Alex English torched us for 30 points and we weren't able to put up much of a fight, as we fell 118-97. Against Sacramento, we fared better, slaughtering them 105-62 behind a 20 pt 12 rebound performance from Charles Smith. What happened next was a complete disaster. We played our very first home game against the Phoenix Suns. We were ready, we were itching to show the LA Fans that these Clippers are for real. Despite 27 pts and 11 rebounds from Danny Manning and 22 pts and 13 rebounds from Charles Smith, we were unable to get the win as we fell short 116-101. I think that was what triggered the collapse. Over the course of seven games, we dropped every single one of them. We looked like the Clippers of old... we were flat-footed, and completely unable to thwart our opponents' offensive attacks. We were soon standing on a 2-9 clip. I look at our calendar... we were up against the New York Knicks tommorow at home. the league-leading 11-2 Knicks. My head started to hurt. Tommorow was going to be a bad, bad day. |
Nov. 27, 1988 - Los Angeles, CA
I looked up at the clock. 3:51 left. The fans were cheering... this was probably the loudest I've heard the Staples Center since I took over the Clippers. The score, 96-96. Mark Jackson, the Knicks PG was dribbling up-court. The house was nearly packed. 18,000 strong, from the last count. Although I'd think that most of the people came here to watch Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks. I was with the team in the locker room when Coach Dawson DiGiovanni was talking about hunger, desire. He said that the Knicks were the best in the league right now, and that we had to make a statement tonight. The entire game was a battle. It was like a fire was lit underneath the Clippers. They matched the Knicks move for move. For every basket that the New York based cagers made, we answered back with a basket of ours. We were unrelenting, refusing to give up... refusing to give in. Now, with the clock ticking down, we would need to buckle up and withstand these Knicks. Jackson faked Gary Grant to the left, and quickly pulled up for the three... the shot rattles in... and OUT! Reggie Williams grabs the rebound... and quickly outlets it to Ken Norman, who only has Jackson between him and the ring. Norman takes it strong to the hoop... he's hacked by Jackson! The shot goes up, and IN! FOUL COUNTED! Norman looks tired. He lines up for the free-throw, and misses. Manning is there for the tip-in, but he botches it! The Knicks now on the run... Jackson with the pull-up, and he misses too. Grant grabs the ball and goes coast to coast. Clippers 100 - Knicks 96. The Knicks have another possession. Oakley drives towars the basket, misses the shot. Ewing with the rebound, and the shot... and he misses again. The Clippers run once more, and this time, Wolf finds an open Ken Norman streaking towards the basket. Clippers 102 - Knicks 96. 2:14 to go. The Knicks claw their way back through Ewing and Newman. Grant then hits two free-throws after a foul to make the score. He steals the inbound and makes the lay-up! Clippers 106 - Knicks 100. 1:12 to go. Gerald Wilkins slams the ball in front of Joe Wolf! Clippers 106 - Knicks 102. 0:55 left. My heart is beating so fast. I could smell the win, but the Knicks were a great team, and great teams don't falter. The Knicks refuse to foul, and play solid defense. Ken Norman drives and then passes the ball to a wide-open Danny manning who hits a mid-range jumper. The crowd explodes in cheer. Clippers 108 - Knicks 102. 0:33 left on the clock. The Knicks run a fast-break, and Oakley hits a lay-up to make the score 108-104 with 21 seconds left. We inbound the ball, but it is stolen by Marc Jackson, who shoots... and misses! Grant grabs the rebound and sprints to the front-court. The ball is tapped from his hands, and Jackson hits a sprinting Charles Oakley for the easy dunk. THE BUZZER SOUNDS! The scoreboard is blinking, Clippers: 108 - Knicks: 106. The Staples Center explodes. Clippers running into the court, everyone's jumping! The fans rush into the court as well. It's like we won the NBA Championship! The Knicks hand their heads on their way back to the locker-room. Gary Grant is pumping his fists up in the air. He rushes over to Ken Norman and gives him a tight hug. The reality of the situation finally settles in. We beat the Knicks! I was celebrating inside the Owner's box along with my staff. We won! The player of the game was Ken Norman who had 28 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists on 12/16 FG. Danny Manning also had 20 pts, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. This was a nice break from all the losing. But I knew deep down inside we had a rough road ahead of us. |
Dec. 1, 1988
With the month of November done, we stand at a record of 3-10. Not good. Our opponents have torched us on the hardcourt, and we haven't been able to put up a fight. Clippers Stats: Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj Danny Manning and Ken Norman lead the team with both 17.6 ppg. Manning was a pleasant surprise, considering my scout doesn't see him as a guy who would be able to take over right now. Charles Smith is doing a mediocre job at C, he's a bit undersized and is having trouble rebounding the ball... only 12 ppg and 6 rpg. Gary Grant, Quintin Daley and Tom Garrick round up our back-court.... Garrick has put up decent numbers off the bench, while rant hasn't really lived up to the hype that was given to him after our 1st game. The season is going to be long. |
January 1, 1989
The New Year rolls along, and the Clippers fared better in December. We went 7-7, and are now standing on a 10-17 clip. Believe it or not, that's good enough for the 8th seed in the Western Conference right now. Clippers Stats: Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj Quintin Dailey, despite a couple of injuries here and there, has upped his production considerably. He's making a case for next season, when he becomes a free-agent. Ken Norman's average is rising, now at 18 ppg. Charles Smtih has also improved his play. He is now averaging 14 ppg and 7 rpg. I think that we really need an outside shooter. We have onyl made 10 three-point shots all season long. That's not good. Our opponents are collapsing on us on defense and we don't have an outside option whatsoever. That will have to be addressed this off-season. |
Feb. 1, 1989
We go 6-11 in January, following several injuries on Quintin Dailey, Gary Grant and Charles Smith. We now have a record of 16-28. This season wasn't what I expected, specially with the dormant talent that this team has. Heads will roll come the end of the season. Clippers Stats: Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
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I'll pick a nit. The Staples Center didn't even exist until a few years ago. The Clips played at the Sports Arena down by the Coliseum before moving to the current digs. The Lake Show with Magic Johnson was down in Inglewood at the Forum. |
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You're right. I'm just using the default stadium files that came with JSB. :) |
Feb. 6, 1989 - All Star Weekend
The weekend was great. Seattle superstar Dale Ellis and the Houston Rockets' Sleepy Floyd went on a shoot-out in the 3PT-Shooting Finals that saw the 6'1" Floyd win the 1988 3PT-Shooting Crown. Larry Bird was eliminated in the 2nd round. Chicago's Michael Jordan bested Oakland Warrior Ben McDonald and Dallas Maverick Pete Myers in the finals of the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest to win another Dunking crown. This year, the innaugural Rookies vs. Sophomores game was held. 5 Clippers were invited to play, as Gary Grant, Danny Manning and Charles D. Smith were selected for the Rookies while Ken Norman and Grant Gondrezick were selected for the Sophomores. The Sophs won the game 97-89, behind the 23 pts and 9 rebounds from Chicago's Horace Grant. Ken Norman had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Smith and Manning played 35 minutes a piece and score over 15 pts each. Gary Grant only saw two minutes of playing time during the game. The All-Star game was filled with stars, unfortunately, noone from the Clippers was selected to play. The Eastern Conference exerted their dominance over the West, as they beat them 156-115. The All-Star MVP was awarded to Charles Barkley of the 76ers, who scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had 5 assists. In a controversial move, Michael Jordan was only limited to three minutes of play, while his sub, Jeff Malone went on to play 36 minutes and score 22 points. Rumors of another freeze-out have been circulating. |
During the month of February, we posted a 4-7 clip, standing at 20-35, #9 in the West. We were outside, looking in. March was no different, we went 4-8. We were 24-43, and ranked #10 in the Western Conference, #6 in the Pacific Division. It was NOT pretty. We finish the season in April, going 6-9, with a final record of 30-52, a definite improvement from last season's 17-65 ranking. We are #9 in the West, 3 games short of the Dallas Mavericks' 33-49 record for the #8 seed in the NBA Playoffs.
Los Angeles Clippers Stats 1988-1989: Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj Quintin Dailey is our leading scorer, with 18.0 ppg. Despite the disappointing season, we still managed to improve on our standings from last season. Our young front court is promising, Ken Norman, Danny Manning and Charles Smith look solid and will anchor this team next season. The playoffs await for 16 teams in the NBA, but the season is now over for the Clippers. As General Manager, I will have a very busy off-season. Do I spend money to sign stars? Who do I draft? Will I be bringing back Quintin Dailey? These were questions that would need to be answered in the coming 6 months. |
Postseason
Eastern Conference: The NBA Postseason is underway. The Atlanta Hawks, led by Dominique Wilkins surged into the top of the East, notching a 60-22 record. The Cavaliers, Knicks and Philly 76ers round out the Teams with home-court advantage. The Bulls come in at #8, with a less than respectable 36-46 record, led by budding star Michael Jordan who leads the league in scoring at 28.8 ppg. The Detroit Pistons' highly touted bad-boys weren't able to pull it together during the season, marred with injuries and a lack of teamwork. Eastern Conference Standings: Code:
team league pct gb conf div home away Western Conference: All eyes in the NBA are on the record breaking Seattle Supersonics, led by MVP Candidate Dale Ellis and the X-Man, Xavier McDaniel. Ellis averaged 27 ppg this season while McDaniel averaged 23 ppg. The Denver Nuggets and Portland Trailblazers are in the heat of a championship run as well. The Lakeshow come in at #7, despite having a decent enough record of 47-35. Western Conference Standings: Code:
team league pct gb conf div home away Play-Off Match-ups: 1st Round: East: (1)Hawks vs. (8)Bulls - Hawks win series 3-0, behind the spectacular play of Dominique Wilkins and Moses Malone. Michael Jordan only averaged 21 ppg during the 3 games and was unable to find any help from his teammates. (4)76ers vs. (5)Hornets - The 76ers managed to edge out the Hornets after being taken to the limit, 3-2. Hersey Hawkins and Charles Barkley averaged 22 ppg each. (3)Knicks vs. (6)Bullets - The Knicks win the series 3-1, behind the play of Patrick Ewing who averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds. (2)Cavaliers vs. (7)Bucks - The Milwaukee Bucks surprise the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning the series 3-1. Terry Cummings led the bucks with 23 ppg during the series. West: (1)Supersonics vs. (8)Mavericks - The Sonics dispose of the Mavericks 3-0, and the Ellis-McDaniel wrecking crew continues on their march to the Championship. (4)Warriors vs. (5)Suns - The Warriors sweep the Suns in three games, 3-0. Chris Mullin averaged 29 ppg during the series. (3)Nuggets vs. (6)Lakers - The Lakeshow took on Adrian Dantley and the Nuggets and survived Game 5 104-100 to clinch the series and advance, 3-2. Magic Johnson is averaging a superhuman 21 ppg, 11 apg and 8 rpg for the series. (2)Blazers vs. (7)Jazz - The Blazers and Clyde Drexler sweep the Utah Jazz's John Stockton and Karl Malone out of the NBA PLayoffs 3-0. 2nd Round: East: (1)Hawks vs. (4)76ers - The Hawks defeat the 76ers in 6 games, 4-2 with Dominique Wilkins and Moses Malone edging Charles Barkley and Company. (3)Knicks vs. (7)Bucks - The upstart Milwaukee Bucks took the New York Knicks to seven games before dropping game 7 118-104 to Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks. West: (1)Supersonics vs. (4)Warriors - The sonics took care of Mullin and the Warriors in 5 games, winning the series 4-1. Xavier McDaniel is promising a title in Seattle this year. (2)Blazers vs. (6)Lakers - The Lakeshow is ground to a halt as Clyde Drexler and the Trailblazers win the series in 6 close games, 4-2. Conference Finals: East: (1)Hawks vs. (3)Knicks - The Knicks take Game 1, but the Hawks surge with 3 straight wins before dropping one in Atlanta and winning the series in New York, 4-2. Dominique Wilkins is averaging 26.7 ppg for the entire playoffs. West: (1)Supersonics vs. (2)Blazers - The Sonics stop the Blazers in 5 games, winning the series 4-1, steamrolling through the entire Western Conference. NBA Finals: (1)Supersonics vs. (1)Hawks - Dale Ellis and the Seattle Supersonics cap a 72-10 season by sweeping Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks 4-0 in the NBA Finals. Awards: Season MVP: Charles Barkley, 76ers Finals MVP: Dale Ellis, Supersonics Defensive POTY: Patrick Ewing, Knicks Rookie OTY: Mitch Richmond, Warriors 6th Man OTY: Michael Holton, Hornets All League 1st Team: Magic Johnson, Lakers Michael Jordan, Bulls Chris Mulling, Warriors Charles Barkley, 76ers Patrick Ewing, Knicks All League 2nd Team: John Stockton, Jazz Fat Lever, Nuggets Alex English, Nuggets Michael Adams, Nuggets Robert Parrish, Celtics All League 3rd Team: Kevin Johnson, Suns Dale Ellis, Sonics Derrick McKey, Sonics Karl Malon, Jazz Moses Malone, Hawks All Defense 1st Team: Lester Conner, Nets Fat Lever, Nuggets Chris Mullin, Warriors Larry Nance, Cavaliers Patrick Ewing, Knicks All Defense 2nd Team: Magic Johnson, Lakers Michael Jordan, Bulls Dominique Wilkins, Hawks Greg Anderson, Spurs Mark Eaton, Jazz All Rookie 1st Team: Brian Shaw, Celtics Mitch Richmond, Warriors Chris Morris, Nets Danny Manning, Clippers Rik Smits, Pacers |
1989 OFFSEASON
Coaching Changes It's now the off-season, and before the draft, Coach Dawson Giovann steps into my office and files his letter of resignation. Apparently, he felt that he could not steer this young team towards the direction that he wants. this makes my job easier, I wasn't planning on keeping Giovann anyway. After numerous phonecalls and meetingslater in the week, we manage to ink ourselves a brand new coach. 44 year old Chuck Shephard. He's one of the better offensive-minded coaches in the league, and has got a knack at developing young players' scoring touch. We also hire a new scout, replacing our old one. Josiah Hartley has a keen eye for guards, mostly, with an excellent evaluation sense for ball-handling and scoring. He also has a knack at looking at a player's talent and skill. 62-year old Rob Sailo remains as my Assistant-GM. If anything else, he has an excellent eye for talent. 1989 NBA Draft The NBA Lottery is won by the Indiana Pacers. Folowed by the Boston Celtics, and then the New Jersey Nets at #3. The ping pong balls did not go our way, and we are situated at #8. The draft is talented, spearheaded by an impressive physical specimen in 7'1" big man David Robinson. The Indiana Pacers take their time. Everyone's already thinking about a David Robinson-Rik Smits tandem in Indiana. David Stern finally makes his way to the podium. "With the first pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select Sherman Douglas!" That was unexpected. There is a collective buzz, as couriers scramble and evaluators change their sheets. I take a look at Hartley's evaluation on Douglas. "All star caliber player, Hall of Fame type potential. Terrific creator on the break, solid defender." The Boston Celtics are next. I don't think the shock of having David Robinson slip to #2 has settled in yet. The Celtics GM hands the selection to the Commissioner. David Stern reads the paper. "With the 2nd pick in the 1989 Draft, the Boston Celtics have selected... guard, Sarunas Marciuli!" If what happened earlier was a buzz, there was almost an instant gasp of exhasperation around the entire arena. I look at David Robinson, and the kid looks distraught... he's talking to his manager, probably asking what the hell was going on. According to Hartley's paper on Marciuli, he's a "solid player and an excellent starter" but definitely not in the league of Robinson. The Nets waste no time, however. They send in their paper. David Stern smiles and reads the pick. "With the third pick in the NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets select David Robinson!" A sigh of relief from the big man. The Nets look like they just won the jackpot, handshakes everywhere. Wow. Just wow, I couldn't believe the big man dropped to #3. The Sacramento Kings select C Vlade Divac at #4. The Miami Heat pick PG Tim Hardaway at #5. The Houston Rockets pick PG Pooh Richardson at #6, blowing away my draft list. I was hoping that Hardaway or Richardson would slip to #8. Gary Grant was a good PG, but he was not a passer at heart. The Detroit Pistons select C J.R. Reid at #7. The clock is on us. The best player on the board is clearly 22-year old SF Nick Anderson. There are guards available, in Dana Barros and Mookie Blaylock, but definitely not in the range of Hardaway or Richardson. I take a quick look at the field again. We have no choice but to select the best available player. We hand the selection over to the Commish. "With the 8th pick of the 1989 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Nick Anderson!" I know this was going to put a logjam at the SF spot, with Ken Norman already there... but that was a problem to be taken care of at a later time. The rest of the 1st round passes by. With our 2nd round pick, we select SG Jaren Jackson, a hard-nosed defender coming out of college. Not really an offensive threat, but his defense is excellent, so says our scout. Up next, the Free Agency... |
FREE AGENCY:
Free Agency Per Team: Code:
Pos Player Pro - - Yrs Amt Team FromNotable signings are Chris Mullin leaving the Warriors, signing a 2-year contract with the Pacers. Patrick Ewing, on the other hand, was lured from New York by Oakland. The Knicks also lost Charles Oakley to Washington. The Cavaliers spare no expense returning Ron Harper, Larry Nance and Mark Price. The Miami Heat lure Jerome Kersey and Xavier McDaniel from Portland and Seattle to ink multi-year contracts with them. We offer Quintin Dailey a 2-year contract worth 3-mil per year, but he spurns us and chooses to sign for less money. With only 3.2 mil in the bank, we send out offers to some of the players we were interested in. Unfortunately it seems like the Clippers have developed a very undesirable reputation in the league. We don't sign anyone to the contracts we offered, and remain inactive during the free agency. PRICES/STADIUM PROPOSALS We made $27.0 Mil last season, not bad... we've almost covered our expense in buying the team. We decide not to touch ticket prices, letting the fans know that we're staying put. The poor fan support in LA is hurting us, however, and if things don't get better, we might push to move this franchise to somewhere else. In other league news, two teams decide to pack up and change cities. The Sacramento Kings have been approved to move to Orange County in 3 seasons, while the Charlotte Hornets will be known as the Honolulu Hornets in 4 seasons. |
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Yeesh. Considering they were an expansion franchise in Charlotte in 1988-89, that's stretching things a bit. (I'm guessing you have no control over franchise happiness in a city when you set up the league?) Then again, it saves the city the heartburn of dealing with the fiasco that is George Shinn in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A silver lining in every cloud. :D |
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Nope, I don't, unless I edit the default files. :) It's quirky, I know. |
1989-1990 TRAINING CAMPS
Player Ratings: (As rated by Scout Josiah Hartley) Code:
po name Team 2ga 2% fta ft% 3ga 3% orb drb ast stl to blk oo do po to od dd pd td ta sk in Player Contracts: Code:
po name Team age exp ht wt 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 My previous scout seems to have over-rated these guys offensively... or is my current scout under-rating them? I will have to see in the coming weeks. Danny Manning's shooting ratings seem on the mark now, based from last year's performance, which means my new scout just might be on the money with regard to their scoring. If there's one thing we need, it's outside shooters. Our only reliable shooter from the three is Reggie Williams. I will have to figure out a way to get shooters on this team this season or the next. Point Guard: Gary Grant is rated by my new scout as a "solid player and excellent starter". He runs the break well, and is a quality passer and ball-handler, but commits a ton of turnovers. With his 3+ turnovers last season, I think that evaluation is on the dot. He will, however still be the Clippers starting PG, with Norm Nixon and Ennis Whatley on the bench. Shooting Guard: Our rookie SF, Nick Anderson, is built like a shooting guard, despite being regarded as a SF. He is rated as a "solid player and starter" by my scout, has very solid ballhandling, decent inside and is a quality defender. Tom Garrick will be coming off the bench again this season. Small Forward: Ken Norman will return at SF, and Reggie Williams will back him up. Norman is on a contract year, and we will be looking at how we're going to approach re-signing him to a contract. He is a "legitimate all star" says my scout, and I can't take that lightly. Power Forward: Danny Manning is no doubt the centerpiece of this Clipper team. his performance last season was amazing, my previous scout was off in his evaluation of Manning, who proved to be a versatile offensive and defensive weapon for the Clippers. Center: Charles D. Smith will continue to be my center. He is playing off-position, and a bit undersized, but he was able to pull out good numbers from there last season. NEW COACHING: I am excited about my new coach, Chuck Shepherd. He is a terrific offensive coach, and will probably milk this squad's offensive abilities this year. The season is going to be exciting. We lost Quintin Dailey to the FA, and return almost everyone, but we feel that we're coming back a stronger team than last season. |
Nov. 3, 1989 - Los Angeles, CA
Its our very first game of the season, and we are going up against our In-City rivals, the Lakeshow. The LA Lakers have nearly the same line-up as last season, Magic Johnson, Byron Scott and James Worthy representing the three-headed monster for the Lakers. The Great Western Forum was packed to the rafters, 19,000 strong. The first quarter was an intense battle, coach Shepherd told the boys before the game that the Clippers were going to run with the Showtime Lakers tonight, and that they were going to beat them at their own game. The first quarter ended with the Clippers ahead, 35-33. It was a back-and forth 12 minutes that saw Nick Anderson score 8 points. Gary Grant had no points, but orchestrated the Clipper attack with 7 assists and 3 steals. Ken Norman had 9 points, and Danny Manning had 8. Charles Smith had 6, but was saddled with two early fouls. During the 2nd quarter, Magic Johnson sought to take over. But Ken Norman wouldn't back down. At halftime, the score read 63-62, in favor of the Clippers. Norman has 18 points at the half. Magic had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists. Gary Grant was doing his best to orchestrate at PG, with 11 assists and 6 steals. Charles Smith saw his 3rd foul early in the quarter and sat down the rest of the half. At the locker room, Coach Shepherd told the boys that this wasn't over. The Lakers were just going to run them out of this building tonight, and they had to fight back with the same kind of intensity. In the third, Grant tries to take over the game, but just kept on shooting brick after brick. Magic Johnson might not have been able to cover Grant's passes, but he has simply blanketed the smaller PG on the court. The rest of the Lakers get their game on and 5 lakers reach double-figures by the end of the third. Danny Manning and Nick Anderson kept us close against the Lakshow and we were now trailing by 5, 85-90. In the fourth, Gary Grant finally let loose and started hitting shots, he hit 3 straight to take up to 91-90. It was a thing of beauty, the fourth. The Clippers were clicking and the Lakers were running, it was back and forth the rest of the way. The Lakers, however, pull away in the final 40 seconds by hitting crucial free-throws, putting an end to what could have been a scintillating Clipper come-back. The Lakers win 115-111. Gary Grant finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 19 assists and 7 steals. Nick Anderson had 18 pts and 10 rebounds in his first game as a pro, Ken Norman had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Danny Manning had 21 points. Magic Johnson had 25 points, 8 rebounds and 13 assists. Byron Scott and James Worthy both had 21 points. We went toe-to-toe with the Lakeshow, almost winning it at the end. Hopefully this is a good sign for my Clips this season. |
Dec. 1, 1989
The Clippers start the season with a 5-9 clip. We have lost the last two games due to injuries to Gary Grant, Joe Wolf and Danny Manning. We can't afford to lose players to injuries, since we're not exactly deep. Losing both Wolf and Manning really thinned out our line-up. Ken Norman is having a career year, and making a solid case for negotiation and re-signing with the Clippers. Nick Anderson is playing well as a rookie, 15 ppg and 6 rpg at the SG spot. Reggie Williams has come off the bench effectively, being our only legitimate outside shooter. The trade deadline is on the 27th of January, and our performance during this stretch will determine if we shake things up a bit by wheeling and dealing. Clippers Stats: Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
Jan. 1, 1990
December was a tumultuous month, we were finally getting on a winning clip, when Danny Manning went down again and we proceeded to lose more games. manning has missed a total of 11 games this season. We are at 14-19, #11 in the red-hot Western Conference. In trades, the Cleveland Cavaliers have traded PG Mark Price and his multi-million dollar contract to the Los Angeles Lakers in return for sophomore C Mark McNamara. My scout rates McNamara as a non-factor type of player... a scrub. This raises a lot of question regarding Cleveland's management's decisions. The Lakers now have a back-court comprised of two great PG's, Mark Price and Magic Johnson. The Houston Rockets have also traded Hakeem Olajuwon and Otis Thorpe to the Philadelphia 76ers for hotshot Hersey Hawkins and a 2nd round pick. The 76ers are now slated to have one of the toughest front-lines in the entire NBA. (Trading has been iffy. I will tweak some settings to see if that helps prevent lopsided trades like the Cleveland/LA Deal) Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
Feb. 1, 1990
The season does not go well for us. We are at a pathetic 19-30, #13 in the Western Conference. With a heavy heart, we decide to throw in the towel this season. Sitting down with Reggie Williams and Ken Norman, we offer both players extensions. Reggie Accepts a 2-year extension worth 5.5 mil each year. Ken, on the other hand, is intent on moving on, after rejecting our offer of a 6-year deal worth 9 mil per season. Afraid that we might not be able to re-sign Ken, we quickly get on the phones before the trade deadline hits on Jan. 27. We get an offer from the League worst Sacramento Kings. The Kings send Sophomore SG Vinny Del Negro, their 1st round picks for 1990 and 1991, in return for Ken Norman, the Clippers 1990 1st round pick, and our 2nd round picks for 1990 and 1991. This allows us to move Tom Garrick to starting SG and Nick Anderson to the starting SF spot, with Reggie Williams and Vinny Del Negro backing up the wings. We will go through the motions the rest of the season, but the various small injuries have really built up and bit us on the behind. Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
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:eek: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
The Clippers finish the season with a 31-51 season, one win better than last year. We finish #12 in the Western Conference, however, worse than last year... seems like eveyone got better except us.
Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
Rookie sensation David Robinson has powered the Nets to the top of the Eastern Conference. The Hakeem-Charles combo in Philly is nothing to laugh about, as they continue their rise to the top.
Eastern Conference Standings: Code:
team league pct gb conf div home away Patrick Ewing and the Warriors are on top of the West, while Dale Ellis and the Sonics are also red hot. Western Conference Standings: Code:
team league pct gb conf div home away PLAYOFFS: Round 1: (1)Nets vs. (8)Hornets - Nets win 3-0. (4)Knicks vs. (5)Pacers - Knicks win 3-1 (2)Bucks vs. (7)Cavaliers - Bucks win 3-2 (3)76ers vs. (6)Hawks - 76ers win 3-1 (1)Warriors vs. (8)Mavericks - Warriors win 3-0 (4)Blazers vs. (5)Lakers - Blazers win 3-2 (2)Jazz vs. (7)Spurs - Jazz win 3-2 (3)Sonics vs. (6)Suns - Sonics win 3-0 Round 2: (1)Nets vs. (4)Knicks - Knicks win 4-3 (a team without a clear superstar after Ewing's departure manages to defeat a solid Robinson-led Nets) (2)Bucks vs. (3)76ers - 76ers win 4-3 (1)Warriors vs. (4)Blazers - Warriors win 4-3 (2)Jazz vs. (3)Sonics - Sonics win 4-0 Conference Finals: (3)76ers vs. (4)Knicks - Knicks win 4-2 (Mark Jackson and John S. Williams are on a tear in the playoffs, dislodging the heavy favorite 76ers!) (1)Warriors vs. (3)Sonics - Warriors win 4-2 (Ewing et.al. dispose of the defending champs in 6 games) 1990 NBA Finals: (1)Warriors vs. (4)Knicks - Warriors win 4-2 (In a great series, the Knicks fight tooth and nail against their former star and the Oakland Warriors. Ewing proves to be too much for the Knicks, and the Warriors win Ewing's 1st NBA Title.) Awards: (I'll only be posting All 1st team, all-defense, individual awards and any Clipper awards) MVP - Magic Johnson, Lakers Finals MVP - Patrick Ewing, Warriors DPOY - Hakeem Olajuwon, 76ers ROY - David Robinson, Nets 6th Man - Rod Strickland, Knicks All League 1st Team: Magic Johnson, Lakers Michael Jordan, Bulls Chris Mullin, Pacers Charles Barkley, 76ers Patrick Ewing, Warriors All Defensive Team: Magic Johnson, Lakers Fat Lever, Nuggets Chris Mulling, Pacers John S. Williams, Knicks Hakeem Olajuwon, 76ers All Rookie Team: Sherman Douglas, Pacers Sarunas Marciuli, Celtics Nick Anderson, Clippers Sam Mitchell, Hornets David Robinson, Nets |
No Timmy on the rookie team? Bullshit!
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All Rookie 3rd Team. :) |
1990 OFFSEASON
Staff Changes No staff changes here. We retain our staff for the '90-'91 season. 1990 Draft With the 1990 Kings pick in our hands, we had the best chance of getting the #1 pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. During the draft lottery, I was ecstatic to hear that the Los Angeles Clippers indeed won the NBA Draft Lottery. We would now have the ability to take the pick of the litter. The draft is deep, but the best players in the draft are not the players that I'm looking for. The concensus first pick, is 6'10" big man Derrick Coleman. Unfortunately, we are loaded at PF, with Danny Manning and Charles D. Smith in the line-up already. I send Rob Sailo out for a quick call-up with the other teams before we make our pick. He comes back. "The Celtics are interested in Charles Smith, and are willing to give up their pick this season if we include Tom Garrick." Smith and Garrick were key personell for the Clippers last season, but the Celtics were offering the #3 pick. A quick conference with my staff later, and we hand out or selection to the Commissioner. "With the 1st pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Forward Derrick Coleman!" At almost that instant, a piece of paper is handed to the commish as well. "And... a trade has been made. The Los Angeles Clippers have traded Tom Garrick and Charles D. Smith along with their 1992 2nd round pick to the Boston Celtics in return for Jim Paxson, Mark Acres, #3 overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft and a future 1st round pick! The crowd is abuzz. The Detroit Pistons take their 2nd round pick, SF Lionel Simmons. It's time for us to make our pick again. We've got our eyes on two players right now, Kendall Gill and Dennis Scott. We decide to skip prospect PG's Gary Payton and Travis Mays, and C prospects Duane Causewell and Felton Spencer. We finally hand our selection to the Commish. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Los Angeles Clippers have selected, for the 3rd overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, Guard, Kendall Gill!" We made our picks. Coleman and Gill, two hard-nosed players not afraid to bang it inside. We could have gone with Scott, solving our problem with regards to outside shooting, but we feel that he can't create shots for himself and that we were going to have a problem with ball rotation. The Bullets select Travis Mays at #4, the Kings get Scott at #5, the Heat pick Spencer at #6, the Rockets get Causewell at #7 and the Bulls select Payton at #8. |
FREE AGENCY:
1990 NBA Free Agency: Code:
Pos Player Name Years Pro Years Amt Team Previous TeamIsiah Thomas returns to the Pistons after a one-year stint with the Spurs, signing a 4-year contract. The Pacers and Bulls resign Reggie Miller and Scottie Pippen, the Suns ink Kevin Johnson to a multi-million dollar deal. Ken Norman ditches the Kings and inks with Dallas for a 40 million dollar pay-off. There was a lot of activity in the FA, just browse through it per team. :) The Clippers, on the other hand, went on signing free agents. We decided to resign Jim Paxson but only to a limited 1 year contract. We signed SG Craig Hodges away from the Mavericks via a 2-year 8.0 mil contract, adding much needed outside shooting from our bench. We also inked John Paxson, Jim's brother, from the Bulls, to a 1-year contract worth 4 mil, to provide Gary Grant a shooter type PG back-up. We signed Sam Bowie and 14-year veteran Adrian Dantley to exceptions. Back-up C Joe Wolf has been inked to a 2-year minimum contract. Dantley will be a 3rd option off the bench, and will be there to provide Veteran savvy and bench leadership. PRICE/STADIUM PROPOSALS: Considering we made a cool 29 million last season, we decide not to touch prices. Average attendance was about 16,000 for a 20,000 seat arena. There is a strong sentiment among the board of owners to move the Clippers somewhere where we are going to be appreciated more... in fact, they have been looking for Cities that might be willing to support a budding franchise, but this would not be a good year to try and look for a new home. We decide to keep it under raps for the moment. |
Poor Jeeber. The Rockets get hosed no matter what the game. :D
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1990-1991 TRAINING CAMP
Clippers Player Ratings: Code:
po name Team 2ga 2% fta ft% 3ga 3% orb drb ast stl to blk oo do po to od dd pd td ta sk in Clippers Player Salaries: Code:
po name Team age exp ht wt 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Point Guard: Gary Grant has evolved into an offensive weapon, so says my scout. An "excellent player, who looks to shoot, a terrific creator on the fast break". Grant will be back for his 3rd year with the Clippers, a contract year in fact. We are contemplating extending his contract, depending on how much he asks for and how well he plays this season. Backing him up are the Paxon brothers, John and Jim. We hired John, specifically, for his ability to hit the three, something we've lacked in the PG spot the past couple of years. Shooting Guard: Rookie Kendall Gill will get the starting nod over 3rd year SG Vinnie Del Negro. Gill is a slasher type, a "solid player and starter, very steady inside, will get you steals, good defensively". I like his defense, pretty solid... maybe a couple of years with the right coach and he'll be a great SG. Del Negro, on a contract year, will also be looking to bump up his stats. It is likely that we won't be resigning him when the season ends, perhaps looking for more outside-shooting guards. Craig Hodges was inked to a 2-year contract, and we're really going to look for him to back-up Gill if Del Negro's play doesn't satisfy us. We like Hodges' outside shot. Small Forward: Our SF spot is solid. Two players worthy of being starters, Nick Anderson will get the spot over Reggie Williams. With Anderson, we have a solid scorer and defender who will look to take over games. Anderson gives us ample firepower from behind the 3-point arc. Adrian Dantley will see minutes as a 3rd string SF, but he's just there for veteran leadership on the bench, mostly. Power Forward: The 2D of the Clippers. Danny Manning and Derrick Coleman. Coleman's ability to rebound will probably move him over to the center spot, while Manning will continue to play as our starting PF. Coleman will likely struggle, but we're hoping his skill compensates his lack of size in the center spot. Manning is considered by my scout as "one of the best players in the game", while Coleman is a "terrific player with a chance at Superstar status". Center: Joe Wolf and Sam Bowie are our two legitimate centers. Both men will be coming off the bench relieving Manning and Coleman. Bowie is a solid defender with shot-blocking capabilities, while Wolf is an explosive offensive option... for a bench warmer. SEASON OUTLOOK: Seriously? I think we have a solid team, but we're young and quite prone to mistakes. We need to buck up this season, or else we might find ourselves in the lottery again. This stint as GM certainly has me rattled, I was expecting to blow out the league in a couple of seasons, and it seems like we're back where we started... going with a youth movement. We have the 3rd lowest payroll in the entire NBA, and we have one of the youngest starting 5's... certainly not a good sign when competing in the best pro-league in the United States. Also, there have been a couple of rule-changes that are expected to bring scoring down a notch this season. Not sure how it's going to effect our team, which relies on pounding the ball and attackig the basket... we'll see how it plays out. |
Reading along and enjoying the ride so far.
A couple of observations: 1.) It doesn't look like you got any real value for Norman if Del Negro is battling for his bSG spot. I originally thought you got him to help with outside shooting, but he seems both reluctant and mediocre behind the arc. 2.) If you are looking for Hodges to help with 3-pt shooting is he going to do that as your 3rd SG? Seeing as how you signed him for 4mil a year, I figured he would have a larger role. Of course, that means giving up on Del Negro from point #1 ... 3.) Future looks bright if you continue to develop the young talent along the front lines. 4.) I love that you keep bringing in Illini players. |
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2. That will probably change towards the all-star game. I want to see how Del Negro goes. 3.) Yes. :) 4.) Hah. Why not have Nick Anderson and Kendall Gill rip the league? |
[quote=Neon_Chaos]1. Well, I was trying to avoid Norman's payday, so I traded him for basically the Kings 1st round pick. That turned out to be the #1 overall and got me Coleman. Of course the Kings got my pick, which turned out to be #5. But I still have their 1991 1st rounder.
/QUOTE] Oops - never mind, better deal than I had recalled from the other night. So if the lottery had worked out the wrong way, could they have ended up with the #1 pick and had you stuck with later pick than them? That would have been pretty nasty ... funny, but nasty for the Clippers fan base. |
Dola - did Norman re-up with the Kings or did they let him get away in the off-season? Another Illini player I'm trying to keep tabs on, since he does have some ties to the Clippers ...
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Well, from the long-ass list back at page 1, Norman quit and signed with the Mavericks for 10 mil a season for 4 years.
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Dec. 1, 1990
After a month of play, the Clippers finally begin a season over .500. We are at 9-5, winning several close games against tough teams. We could easliy be 4-11, if we lost those close games. Gary Grant has developed into a solid player. He's become a tough defender, 2nd in the entire league is steals per game with 4.0. Of course, the fact that he turns the ball over 4 times a game is also to be noted. He has upped his scoring and passing this year, though. Kendall Gill has been mediocre at SG to say the least, while Derrick Coleman has played nicely at the C spot. Danny Manning continues to be the offensive focus of the team, while Nick Anderson is following up a good season last year with another nice outing. Hopefully, those wins were no flukes and that we really are a competitive bunch. We offer Gary Grant and Danny Manning contracts to re-sign with the Clippers, but they turn them down, citing the attempts to low-ball them by offering smaller contracts. Looks like we'll need to be wily during the off-season if we want them back. Clippers Stats: Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
As a side note, in case you noticed the Miami Heat in the Western Conference... it was there when I started the game, I think as a balance-thing with regards to teams per conference.
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Jan. 1, 1991
The Clippers continue to win. We are now at 18-11, and currently #4 in the Western Conference. The Clippers are clicking, and it's a joy to watch. Gary Grant's steals numbers have gone down, but his offensive production has remained steady. Vinnie Del Negro is giving us steady minutes as the back-up SG, which means Craig Hodges will have to wait a while before seeing more minutes that his usual 8 right now. We seem to be winning via our hustle on the defensive end, grabbing 13 spg as a team, 4th in the entire NBA. We have been spared from serious injuries to key players, which is always good. Danny Manning leads the team with 18 ppg, while Derrick Coleman has upped his production to about 17 ppg. The trade deadline is on Feb. 22, it has been moved up by an entire month, which gives teams more leeway regarding trades. In trades, the Portland Trailblazers have sent Drazen Petrovic, CJ Jones and Tyrone Corbin to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for veteran Center, Roy Hinson. Clippers Season Stats through December: Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
Feb. 1, 1991
As good as we were in the first two months, we were completely horrible in February. We being the month by winning 2 games, but lose 9 straight before we win again against our in-city rivals Lakers. The Cliipers' playoff hopes now look bleak as we stand at 21-20, #8 in the Western Conference. Vinnie Del Negro will probably be pushed down the 3rd string, while we see if Craig Hodges is able to give us enough offensive firepower to have us win again. Manning and Grant had their offensive outputs go down during the month of January. In trades, the Los Angeles Lakers have made a blockbuster trade, sending Mark price (acquired from the Cavs last season) and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to the Cavaliers in return for Brad Daugherty and Kiki Vandewegh. The Lakers are now looking like a team to be feared once more, with Magic, Big Game James and Daugherty in their line-up. We have 3 1st round picks in the upcoming 1991 draft, the Kings' pick, which might turn out to be another lotto winner, as they have the worst record in the league at 4-39, following the Ken Norman ditching. Our pick and the Celtics pick, which may or may not hit the lottery, since we're both see-swaing at the 8th seed of our conferences. The upcoming draft class has been released, and two names strike us. Larry Johnson and Dikembe Mutombo. Both men are skilled and talented, and might fit perfectly with the Clippers. Of course, this may mean that we might be forced to play our hand and not resign Danny Manning to a big contract when the season ends... but that's still a half-year away... and there's an entire half of a season left to play. Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
Mar. 1, 1991
The Clippers are treading in dark water. We go 7-8 duing the month of February and maintain a grip on the #8 seed in the NBA Playoffs. The Utah Jazz are #9 and are 27-31. We need to win games to give us a safer padding against the Jazz. The Jazz have beefed up their line-up, however. In a trade-deadline deal the Jazz send Mark Eaton, Dallas Cornegys, Darrel Griffith, Gerald Paddio and the Jazz 1993 1st round pick to the Chicago Bulls in return for Byron Scott, Horace Grant and the Bulls 1991 1st round pick. This gives the Jazz solid back-ups for the Stockton-Malone duo. No Clipper is invited to join the All Star Game, which was won by the West, and saw Karl Malone win AS MVP. The Rookie-Sophomore game was attanded by Gill, Anderson and Coleman. David Robinson win the Rookie-Sophmore Game MVP. Clippers Season Stats through February: Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
Actually, the reason the Heat are in the West is because they were assigned there in 1988-89. NBA officials decided to have fans in Charlotte and Miami both get exposure to Western Conference teams over two years. So, Charlotte was in the East and Miami was in the West in 1988-89 and then switched in 1989-90. Both teams would settle into the East (Charlotte in the Central and Miami in the Atlantic) in 1990-91. Oddly enough, I don't think they went to such trouble for Orlando, Minnesota, Toronto, or Vancouver when they joined.
EDIT: I stand corrected. Orlando actually wandered for three years before settling into the Atlantic. They started out in the Central in 1989-90, then moved to the Midwest, then to the Atlantic. Minnesota, Toronto, and Vancouver, all stayed where they were assigned (Midwest, Central, and Midwest, respectively) when they first joined. EDIT as follow-up: In case you wonder why I notice and care to point this stuff out, it's because I grew up in North Carolina and the Hornets were the first ever pro team in the state and were actually the first expansion team of any kind that I can ever recall coming into being. (Dallas joined the NBA in 1980, but I was too young to understand that or anything else about the NBA, and I was still in diapers when the Seahawks and Bucs joined the NFL in 1976) |
(Ah, thanks for the explanation, Wolfpack!)
Apr. 1, 1991 We are at 37-35, wit 10 games remaining. We are tied for #7 with the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets, which means we will need a late season push if we want to make it to the play-offs for the very first time since I took over as GM of the Clippers. It's going to a bumpy bumpy ride to the Playoffs, hopefully we manage to pull it off. Derrick Coleman is making a solid case for ROY, leading all rookies in PPG and RPG. Code:
po name Team g min fgm fga fgp ftm fta ftp tgm tga tgp orb reb ast stl to blk pf ppg inj |
Apr. 24, 1991
With only 2 games left in the season, the LA Clippers' playoff hopes for this year lie in our own hands. The race in the Western Conference has tightened. #7 Utah Jazz 42-39 #8 Denver Nuggets 41-41 #9 Los Angeles Clippers 40-40 The Nuggets' season is over, and we control our own destiny. We need to win at least one game to make it to the NBA Playoffs. We hold a 3-1 season record against the Denver Nuggets. We have 2 games left, today against the Utah Jazz, and tommorow against the Miami Heat. If we win one of these two games, we guarantee ourselves our very first Playoff Birth this season. Before the game, Coach Shepherd tells the team that we need to wrap the season up TONIGHT. We are 0-3 against the Jazz for the season, and we need to win against them tonight not only to advance but to prove that we are not push-overs. The crowd in the LA Sports Arena is packed... about 19,000.... they want to see us win this one. but with Malone, Stockton, Person, Scott and Grant in the Jazz starting lineup, we're going to have a battle on our hands tonight. We're just happy that the Jazz don't have a true Center, similar to our team. |
The first quarter is intense. The Jazz jump out to an early lead, but we ride Gary Grant's solid playmaking and scoring and after the first 12 minutes of play, we find ourselves on top 31-30. Gary has 12 points and 6 assists. Danny Manning has 8 points and is 4/4 from the field, yet to miss. For the Jazz, Chuck Person has 6 points, and Karl Malone has 9.
The 2nd quarter is equally intense. The Jazz decide to go to Malone for two consecutive baskets. We finally decide to double him up, despite the fact that he's surrounded by 3-point shooters. Our bench shows up as Paxson and Vinnie Del Negro both hit crucial 3-point shots. Gill, Anderson and Coleman each have 8 points. Danny Manning now has 10 pts and 8 rebounds. Gary Grant has 14 pts and 7 assists. For the Jazz, Malone has 13 points, while Person is stuck with 6. We finish the 1st half, ahead 58-50. With a pumped up crowd, the Clippers head back to the hardcourt. This was long from over. During the 3rd, we found Malone and Horace Grant deep in foul trouble, both having 3 fouls. We decide to pound the ball down low to our rookie Derrick Coleman. He takes advantage of the weakend Jazz frontline. After a flurry of low-post shots and fastbreaks, we have distanced ourselves from the Utah Jazz, and finish the quarter ahead 87-74. One quarter left, and I think the players are a bit loose now that we have this 13-point lead. I sit in my chair and worry... complacency might be our biggest opponent right now. The Jazz storm out of the gate in the 4th. We score the first two points, but then we see our lead dwindle... 10....8....5...3...1. With 7 minutes left, the Jazz have cut our lead down to one single point. 89-88. I was angry, frustrated. It all comes down to the wire... with one minute left, we were ahead, 101-99. The Jazz then hit a 3-point shot. 102-101 Jazz. Gary Grant drove down the lane to hit a layup... and was blocked. The Jazz run and John Stockton finds a wide open Chuck Person who buries a dagger of a three point shot. 105-101 Jazz. Grant grabs the ball and shoots a three, it clanks off the rim and the buzzer sounds. The crowd is stunned silent. We let this one slip away. One more game to go. We needed to win against the Heat tommorow, or we could kiss the playoffs goodbye. Coleman finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds, Grant had 23 points and 12 assists. Karl Malone had 29 points and 16 rebounds. One more game. And we had better win it if we wanted to make the Playoffs. |
April 26, 1991
The Newspaper headlines say it all. "CLIPPERS PLAYOFF-BOUND!" We hung tight in 4 quarters against the Miami Heat and defeat them 112-103. Danny Manning had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the winning effort against the Tim Hardaway-led franchise. Eastern Conference Standings: Code:
team league pct gb conf div home away Western Conference Standings: Code:
team league pct gb conf div home away |
D'oh!
Edit: Nevermind, woohoo! Congrats on the playoffs! :) |
Does JSB have a demo? I may want to try it out.
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www.shotsports.com The creator of JSB put the full game available for free download back in Oct. 2, if you browse through the FOFC Forums, he posted a message about it. Of course, he has since pulled the download since he made it available for a limited time only. |
1991 NBA Playoffs
It was going to be an uphill battle. The defending champions were no pushovers, and they aren't the defending champs for nothing. The Warriors slaughtered us 129-107 in Game 1 of our very first Playoff game. The next night, we fared better, but Nick Anderson missed the game-tying lay-up in the dying seconds of Game 2, and we fell 118-120. We were able to shut out Patrick Ewing in both games, but Mitch Richmond and Terry Porter just killed us off the fast-break. Game 3 rolled around, and the Clippers were on a mission. We attacked the basket and kept Terry Porter from being a factor. Mitch Richmond scored 32 points and Ewing scored 20, but Danny manning powered us with a 33-point game and the Clippers won their 1st playoff game in my tenure as GM, 112-107. Our brief run in the playoffs is cut short however, as we fall in Game 4, 103-113. The Warriors advance to the 2nd round, and summer hits us early. Playoff Matchups 1st Round: (1)Knicks vs. (8)Bullets - The Bullets give the Knicks (who have blossomed without Ewing) a run for their money, but fall short. Knicks advance 3-2. (4)Pacers vs. (5)76ers - Pacers win in 5 and elminate Hakeem/Charles, 3-2. (2)Bulls vs. (7)Cavaliers - Mark Price and the Cavs take Michael Jordan and the Bulls to the limit and advance 3-2 in a huge upset. (3)Nets vs. (6)Celtics - The Nets take care of the Celtics 3-1. (1)Warriors vs. (8)Clippers - Warriors take the cake, 3-1. (4)Blazers vs. (5)Lakers - Clyde Drexler and the Blazers defeat a strong LA Team, 3-1. (2)Heat vs. (7)Jazz - Malone et. al. defeat the Heat in 5 games to stage a big upset, 3-2. (3)Sonics vs. (6)Rockets - Dale Ellis and company advance to the 2nd round, 3-1. 2nd Round: (1)Knicks vs. (4)Pacers - The Knicks, led by Mark Jackson and John S. Williams win against the Pacers 4-2. (3)Nets vs. (7)Cavaliers - The Nets and 'Zo take care of the Cavs 4-1. (1)Warriors vs. (4)Blazers - Ewing and the Warriors end the Blazers' run and finish them off 4-1. (3)Sonics vs. (7)Jazz - Malone, Person, Grant, Stockton and Scott continue their romp on the Playoffs as they upset the Sonics 4-1. That mid-season trade really helped them a lot. Conference Finals: (1)Knicks vs. (3)Nets - The Knicks and Nets face each other toe-to-toe and went down to the the seventh game that saw the Knicks take the series 4-3. (1)Warriors vs. (7)Jazz - Patrick Ewing and the defending champion Warriors end the Jazz's cinderella run, sweeping Malone and the Jazz 4-0. 1991 NBA Finals: (1)Knicks vs. (1)Warriors - In a rematch of last season's Finals series, the Warriors take control off the bat against the Knicks, who lost the homecourt advantage by losing the first two games. they try to dig themselves out of that hole, but eventually fall to the Warriors, 4-1. Ewing wins his 2nd consecutive NBA Title. AWARDS: MVP: David Robinson, Nets Finals MVP: Patrick Ewing, Warriors DPOY: Hakeem Olajuwon, 76ers ROY: Derrick Coleman, Clippers 6th Man: Rod Strickland, Knicks All League 1st Team: John Stockton, Jazz Michael Jordan, Bulls Chris Mullin, Pacers Charles Barkley, 76ers David Robinson, Spurs All League 2nd Team: Magic Johnson, Lakers Clyde Drexler, Blazers Scottie Pippen, Bulls John S. Williams, Knicks Patrick Ewing, Warriors All Defense Team: Kevin Edwards, Heat Michael Jordan, Bulls Chris Mullin, Pacers Larry Nance, Cavaliers Hakeem Olajuwon, 76ers All Rookie Team: Gary Payton, Bulls Kendall Gill, Clippers Lionel Simmons, Pistons Derrick Coleman, Clippers Duance Causewell, Rockets |
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