Q Is Ready to Fulfill His Destiny

Find me a person who hated the 2000-2001 Clippers, and I will show you an enemy of mine. Those teams were designed to fail, but boy did they capture the imagination. I've always felt that the heart and soul of that squad wasn't rock-solid Elton Brand, or the mystifying Lamar Odom, but the dynamic duo of Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. Only pups, they were wildly inconsistent, and yet somehow landed one of the dopest Nike spots ever.

A lot has happened since those halcyon days, when Dime confidently referred to Q as a perennial All-Star in the making and D-Miles a future Defensive Player of the Year. Miles has since become a running joke, most notable for the havoc he might wreak on the Blazers cap next year. Richardson was an integral, if unhinged, piece of that inaugural year of the D'Antoni Suns. They sent him to the Knicks, on account of his limited game (Phoenix had accurate shooters, no need for gunners) and back problems.

Now, according to NY Knicks Beat, he's eager for a reunion:

Finally 'feeling' back to 100% after having back surgery, Q said he is excited for the upcoming season. Having shed at least 10lbs from his bulky frame to accommodate D'Antoni's style of play in which Richardson averaged career highs in several categories, he seems ready to finally break out as a Knick ... To his credit, Q often tried to take a leadership role with this team a few times last year. Although his efforts fell short, it was good to see someone step up and at least try.

I know we're supposed to mercilessly deride lottery picks who get paid and then fail forever, but it's hard to not have a soft spot for Richardson. And if he can get his career back on track, who knows, we might even stop looking at Miles like he's an envoy from the NBA underworld. Of course, they'd probably then have to reveal with that head-bop gesture means. To reward what little faith we have left in us.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.