There are three teams sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference barrel right now. In the Pacific Division, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers share space in the cellar, both with 5-13 records. In the Midwest, the Vancouver Grizzlies are already seven games out of first at 6-11.
But it's more than another bad start for all three clubs. Losing has become a tradition for these teams, none of which have had a winning season in several years.
In the early 90's, both the Warriors and Clippers were in the playoffs, and both had a chance of building, but management mistakes ultimately led to losing ways. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies haven't been around long enough to win (or have they?).
The Warriors once had the promise of an era of dominance. Dubbed 'Run TMC' (referring to guards Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond and forward Chris Mullin), the Warriors were contenders who epitomized the Western Conference's brand of fast-break basketball. But the front office, then under the guidance of Coach/General Manager Don Nelson, began prospecting, and wound up with fool's gold.
The Warriors traded one-time rookie of the year Richmond to Sacramento after the '90-'91 season for Syracuse star and future NBA journeyman Billy Owens. Shortly after, a rash of injuries struck the team, and Hardaway and Mullin eventually departed. The Warriors have not known a winning season since.
Long after Nelson's departure, the Warriors would make further management mistakes, trading burgeoning superstar Chris Webber away for the erratic and underachieving Donyell Marshall in 1994. The front office woes continued for the Warriors in a simple swap during the 1998 draft, when they picked Vince Carter, and sent him to Toronto for Antawn Jamison. While the book isn't closed on Jamison, who exploded for a NBA season high 51 points Sunday night in a loss to Seattle, right now it's just another piece of tragic Warriors history.
The Clippers were losers throughout the '80's until a coach with a winning swagger, Larry Brown, took over. Brown brought the Clips to the playoffs in '92 and '93, and it seemed as though they would soon emerge from the Lakers' shadow, even bringing out celebrity faces like Billy Crystal to fill their front row in the often empty L.A. Sports Arena.
But one reason why the Clippers have been perennial losers is penny-pinching owner Donald Sterling. Sterling initiated Brown's departure for Indiana, and the Clippers immediately returned to their losing ways.
Sterling has repeatedly refused to spend the money to keep talent around, most recently letting legitimate talents Lamond Murray, Derek Anderson and Maurice Taylor depart for greener pastures. Rumor has it that Sterling has maintained ownership of the Clippers as a tax write-off, so until Sterling dumps the franchise, the Clippers will always have one foot in the hole.
As for the Grizzlies, well, they've never had a winning season in their short franchise history. But as time goes on, failure is becoming less acceptable. Their Canadian expansion counterparts, the Toronto Raptors, accomplished a winning season and a brief playoff appearance last season. So despite the slow accumulation of talent, the Grizzlies fans have reason to be impatient.
So how do they get out of these decade-long funks?
The Golden State Warriors opened this season with promise, beating the first place Phoenix Suns in the final seconds of the game. The Warriors went on to lose five straight (though two were back to back overtime losses to the Kings and Magic). The Warriors have young talent. The aforementioned Jamison can score, and when healthy, has shown signs of productivity. In the off-season, the Warriors brought in power forward Danny Fortson, who was averaging 16.7 points and 16.3 rebounds per game before going down to a foot injury. In addition, flashy young guard Larry Hughes has star-quality abilities if he can overcome streaky shooting and numerous turnovers (he's averaging 3.3 per game).
But it ends there. The Warriors lack depth, play terrible defense, and have a rotten field goal percentage. Saturday, the Warriors shot 33 percent from the floor, and looked awful in every phase of the game. In Sunday night's loss to the Supersonics, in spite of Jamison's 23 for 36 shooting performance, the Warrior bench mustered a pathetic 7 points on 2 for 12 shooting, and gave up 116 points to the Sonics on the other end of the floor.
For the season, the Warriors rank 29th in the league in field goal percentage, shooting 40.8%, and 26th in the league in points allowed with 98.2. The Warriors need more time and more talent, and though showing flashes of good play, seem to be the worst of these basement teams.
In this off-season's draft, the Clippers improved as much as any other team, adding high school phenom Darius Miles, along with guards Quentin Richardson and Keyon Dooling, while acquiring Cory Maggette and Derek Strong from the Magic. Building on last year's draft of Lamar Odom, and former number one overall pick Michael Olowakandi, the Clippers have a young and athletic roster.
But the offense, though talented, has been dismal thus far. Only two players are averaging double figures on offense, and as a team, the Clippers shoot a poor percentage. Sunday, the Clippers were held below 38 percent shooting against Boston, a team that has struggled on the defensive end of the court. Beyond all this, the Clippers average 18.4 turnovers per game: third worst in the league.
One reason the Clips have faltered is they haven't gone with a consistent rotation. Lamar Odom and Jeff McInnis are the only players that command a majority of the minutes at their positions on a nightly basis. As for draft picks Miles, Richardson and Dooling have all been bounced around in the line up, starting some nights, and barely getting off the bench on others.
What is impressive about this club is the team defense. While the Clippers rank 21st in the league shooting the ball at 42.4 percent, the Clippers are holding opponents to the same percentage, ranking eighth in the league. Similarly, while ranking 25th in scoring, just over 88 points per game, the Clips are a respectable 13th in points allowed.
Although north of the border, the Grizzlies remain south in the standings for many of the same reasons as the Clippers. Young talent has produced an inconsistent offense, offsetting an improving defense.
Four of the five Grizzlies' starters have been legitimate players. Small forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim has shown flashes of stardom. A backcourt of Mike Bibby and (currently injured) Michael Dickerson is athletic and capable of filling the nets. Also, power forward Othella Harrington has played solid basketball, though he is sometimes overmatched against the likes of Webber, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace. After those four, the level of talent drops off significantly.
Offensively, Vancouver is a below-average 22nd in points scored with 89.9 points, shooting 42% from the field. But the Grizzlies' defense has frustrated many quality teams. The Grizzlies rank 11th in points allowed at 91.9 per game.
First round pick Stromile Swift (number two overall), has been a disappointment thus far. According to coach Sidney Lowe, Swift is just not ready, and he's certainly seemed that way in limited action.
Management wants him on the court, feeling the exposure will allow him to develop faster. If Swift pans out, he could add even more of a defensive presence, which could slowly improve the Grizzlies.
Of the Warriors, Clippers and Grizzlies, the Griz appear to be in the best position to climb up the standings. While having talented floor leadership, they've also played together for a while now, giving them the best chemistry of the three clubs. This is a major component to becoming a playoff caliber team.
But even with this said, they're still a long ways away. The Grizzlies will play for win number seven against Detroit tonight.
