by Marcas Grant
For decades, the Los Angeles Clippers have represented futility not only in the NBA, but throughout all of American sports.
But heavy is the head that wears the dunce cap. There’s a new slack-jawed sheriff in town.
Ladies and gentlemen…the Golden State Warriors.
With two unnamed Warriors telling Yahoo! Sports that they’d prefer to see Stephen Jackson pack up his lightning bolt and head for clearer skies, the franchise is taking another step toward assuming its place amongst the best of the worst.
Consider that since the start of the 1992 season, the GS-Dubs have posted a record of 535-827 (.392), only slightly better than the Clips’ clip of 482-880 (.353).
As for postseason parties, the Clippers have actually fared better, getting to the postseason three times in that seventeen years while the Boys From The Bay have made the playoffs just twice. It’s a fact that gets sometimes gets glossed over by their stunning upset of the heavily favored Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs.
Now to start this season, Cap’n Jack has no more clout on the team than Cap’n Crunch after he was stripped of his title for picking up five personal fouls and a technical in less than 10 minutes of an exhibition game. The team itself has lost four of its first six - including a loss to the Clippers - while giving up a league high 113.2 points per game.
In the meantime, there’s at least some reason to be optimistic in Clipperland. A backcourt of a young, exciting Eric Gordon paired with a rejuvenated Baron Davis combined with the hope of Blake Griffin’s return means sporting Red & Blue in Los Angeles is actually somewhat compelling.
The best hope for Warrior fans is that the inevitable meltdown actually takes hold and that the franchise opts for the full makeover. Otherwise, the W’s won’t be collecting too many anytime soon.
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