Reggie Evans, after the Game 7 victory:

"If I’m going to look at any game [in the series], I’m going to look at the game we lost at home in front of our fans, letting them down. I feel more hurt about letting them down."

We tend to think of refs as robots. I found this interview to be enlightening.

On a day when Clipper fans may want a bit of levity, I offer Blake making an appearance on Sesame Street.

If I were a superstar, I would consider appearing on Sesame Street to be the pinnacle of my success. But that is just me.

There are a few different clips on YouTube worth watching. Funny.

"Billups has tried to put the long and unpredictable journey of the NBA season into perspective for his young teammates, pointing out that the greatest season of his NBA career, which ended with an NBA title and a Finals MVP, seemed far from a reality 30 games into the season.

'We still didn't finish with the best record in the league,' he said. 'We finished with the sixth best record. That's a big deal, but is that everything? No. It's about how you're playing when the playoffs hit and if everyone's playing together on the court. If you're a good team, you can win anywhere.' "

No new insights, but some positive national press and excellent quotes from CP3. Sounds like we will have a highly effective pitchman when it comes time to recruit free agents:

"Looking merely human, the Clippers still made it two in a row on Wednesday. And Paul is exultant.

"I’ve called my friends who played with the Hornets and told them about it. David West, my closest teammate that I ever played with, I was on the phone, talking with him when I walked into the arena, telling him how much I’ve enjoyed being here." "

"The positive mood around the Clippers like never before received another boost Tuesday afternoon when Chauncey Billups, once upset to be claimed after the Knicks used the amnesty clause to waive him, told NBA.com he can imagine re-signing as a free agent."

Definitely worth a read all the way through. Article moves beyond the obvious "lob city" potential to discuss half court sets and the impact on the other three starters (Billups, DJ and Caron Butler) as well. Didn't realize Caron was such a good spot up shooter.

"Sterling then pushed Olshey, Roeser and coach Vinny Del Negro to trade for Paul, even though it cost the Clippers talented guard Eric Gordon and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick.

"Or we have a chance to completely change the culture of the organization and make us a contender right away.""

Most of this article is old news, but I thought it was interesting to read that, according to Spears, Sterling was the one pushing for the trade.

"How good is a team with a starting five of Paul, Williams, Caron Butler, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan? With Billups and Randy Foye/Ryan Gomes the best two or three players coming of the bench? Probably a little better than the Hornets, but not good enough to be a playoff contender. Probably not even close."

Great article. Worth a read.

"Clippers officials talked to Paul for 90 minutes last week, with the Hornets’ permission. People with knowledge of the Clippers’ plans said Paul was asked if he would forgo his opt-out next summer if he was not ready to commit to an extension. Paul answered that he would consider it, if the core Clippers remained." (Emphasis mine)

The references to Clippers are near the bottom of the article - I don't think I have seen these details reported anywhere else. And as for the last clause in bold, I can't see how Gordon could not be considered part of the core. Thus, it stands to reason that while it may be true that the Hornets want him in NO, Paul wants him to stay in LA.

Thus, the conundrum for NO is that they want as much as possible from the Clips, but not so much that Paul is no longer willing to pick up his option (which in turn lessens the amount that the Clips would be willing to trade).

My prediction is that Gordon stays and the Minny pick goes.

"A source said when Paul made his decision last week he wanted to be dealt to the Lakers, the Clippers had finished a very strong second among his suitors, which also included the Boston Celtics and the Warriors."

Very funny. Blake proves yet again that he is a natural straight man.

The last paragraph is the most interesting part - a way for whoever trades for Paul to get a bit more comfortable with the potential downside.

"While there was conflicting information about the Clippers' offer, the bottom line for the Hornets is this: They want the 2012 unprotected first-round pick that came from Minnesota. Of all the assets in play here, that pick is atop the Hornets' wish list, alongside Golden State guard Stephen Curry.

But because the new collective bargaining agreement makes it more lucrative for a player in Paul's position to re-sign in the summer as opposed to signing an extension now, Paul may have to find a new way to show he's willing to stay beyond this season. One likely idea, as was suggested to me recently, would be for Paul to pick up his player option for next season ($17.7 million) as a sign of good faith commitment. While a new deal would eventually be agreed upon, picking up the option would assure the team that they had his contractual rights in the interim and allow the blood pressure of the respective GM to stop rising."

I found this to be an interesting look back at the NHL lockout from one of the most strident NHL union guys... after all of the rhetoric had worn off.

Five years from now, will Kevin Garnett say, "I learned a big lesson: It's not a partnership. It's their league, and you are going to play when they want?" This guy says it.

From Hoopsworld. FYI each player must have five or less years of NBA experience in order to qualify:

"#1 – Blake Griffin (1) and DeAndre Jordan (3), L.A. Clippers – Because Griffin is the single best player on this list with the single brightest future on this list, he would only need a halfway decent running mate to take the top spot on this list. DeAndre Jordan is pretty easily that and more. While Jordan will probably never be an All-Star, his length and athleticism complement Griffin quite nicely, and Clippers fans will happily watch those two run up and down the floor together for the next ten years. If they can bring in the right point guard, the Clippers really could be a legitimate championship contender down the road. And who thought we'd ever be saying that?"

From Hoopsworld:

"It would be easy to put Blake Griffin on this list, but he is that rare player that made the leap to stardom in his rookie season. Gordon, on the other hand, will be entering his fourth year in the league, and is coming off his best season to date.

In 2010-11, Gordon appeared to be on his way to earning his first trip to the all-star game. Before injuring his wrist in January, Gordon was averaging over 24 points per game and 4.5 assists. After returning from the injury in March, Gordon wasn't the same player. He averaged only 17 points a night over his last 15 games and saw his field goal percentage drop from 46.8% before the injury to just 39.7% after.

With the lockout threatening to push back the start of the season, Gordon will have more time than usual to rest his body. If Griffin continues to improve his game, he will start demanding double teams on offense, which will open up the court even more for Gordon. Gordon is already considered one of the top three point shooters in the league, and if he can regain the form he had before his injury it's highly likely he'll find himself in his first all-star game."

Something for everyone in this review. John R and his cronies will love the grade, while Jax and his cronies will point to the statements valuing Baron's removal from the Clips' equation. As for me, I think both sides are right... and both are wrong... it's all relative.

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"Los Angeles Clippers, Additions: Trey Thompkins, Travis Leslie, Grade: D

Thompkins and Leslie are two Georgia teammates that probably won't ever contribute anything at this level."

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For some reason, Jax and John R's antics on these pages remind me of one of my favorite movie moments.... Imagine John R standing near a cemetery in the desert with smoke wafting around him, talking to his aide ClipperChuck....

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"You know, if I had my way, I'd send that genius son of a bitch an engraved invitation in iambic pentameter. A challenge in two stanzas to meet me alone in the desert. [Jax] in his tank and me in mine. We'd stop about 20 paces. We'd get out, we'd shake hands then we'd button up and do battle, just the two of us. That battle would decide the outcome of the war."
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In addition to the obvious debate that this will engender about Baron vs. Mo and why Baron was traded, it's also worth considering VDN's comment at the end of the story. A lot of criticism has already been lobbed at Mo because of his inability to throw lobs like Baron, but the fact is that Baron has had a huge head start in terms of practices and games with Blake and DeAndre. Mo has had a grand total of roughly ten games and probably one or two practices. I think a lot more time should allowed to properly assess what he can and can't do.

I am looking forward to EJ's return. I believe he means a lot to this team.

An interesting take on the strengths and weaknesses of the U23 team.

"They got another bit of good news, too. Eric Gordon, the Clippers' leading scorer who was expected to be out for a month because of a right wrist injury, is now day-to-day and will join the team for its upcoming 10-game road trip, a team spokesperson said."