Yes, the last seven years have been fun for the LA Clippers. But owner Donald Sterling needed a scapegoat for this season's failure so he conveniently fired GM Mike Dunleavy this Tuesday.
The way he was fired was in typical Clipper fashion: they posted to the Clippers website during the Clippers/Orlando game on Tuesday before telling the players, coaches, or even Mike Dunleavy.
The problem with firing Dunleavy (and how they did it) is that most of the current roster was recruited by Dunleavy so they inherently have bought into his plan to some extent. Coaches, players, and everyone sees how the Clippers treat people and it certainly leaves a bad impression of the organization.
If you're Larry Brown, Jerry West, LeBron James, or Dwayne Wade do you want to come to a organization that treats everyone poorly? There is probably a high correlation between how you treat your employees and organizational success. Unfortunately, Donald Sterling has no concept of this.
In their press release, the Clips state they want to "win now." Unfortunately, "now" is subject to interpretation as it could mean next season or five years from now. The Camby and Thornton trades will definitely not help the Clippers win this season, so we really have no idea when the Clippers intend to win, the real reason Dunleavy was fired, and if fans should be optimistic about the future. The only that is certain is that Donald Sterling will continue to manage in a confusing (and probably) unsuccessful manner.
Some selected quotes:
Dunleavy-
"I come back to my locker around 7 p.m. and there's a million messages on my phone," Dunleavy said.
"This guy comes up to me and said, 'What's going on? They just said on TV that the Clippers severed ties with you?'
"I had no idea what they were talking about. I'm like, 'Wow. I haven't even talked to the Clippers.'"
"I left a message saying (to Donald Sterling), 'I have no idea what caused this. I'm disappointed I don't get to finish the job, but I want to thank you for the opportunity you've given me,'" Dunleavy said. "I had a great time in L.A."
Baron Davis-
"At this point, nothing surprises me," point guard Baron Davis said. "We're moving in a different direction. We've been on the road, so there's not much that we know. You all found out before we did."
Chris Kaman-
"I wonder who made that decision?'' said All-Star center Chris Kaman. "We don't know why or anything. I think whoever made the decision to get rid of all that money (long-term contracts) did a good job of it. They left a lot of cap space for next year, and now can go after a big-time player.''
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