Sports Frog

As Memphis Bengal alluded to earlier today, things are not so pleasant in Clipperland. It's not just sniping between cheap owner Donald Sterling (no way I'm putting up another picture of him) and embattled coach Mike Dunleavy. While I was not a fan of Dunleavy's work prior to getting signed on with the Clippers, I have become impressed with his work since then, in particular the playoff run from a couple years ago. And it seems like he's in a three-way battle for running the team with the Don and GM Elgin Baylor. Oddly, the Don claims he wants to win, Dunleavy certainly wants to win, and Baylor is napping, it seems.

If you didn't go to the Simers column where Dunleavy stands up to the real estate mogul, there is actually some interesting bits about Dunleavy seeming to be the only guy interested in winning games. Simers writes...

Dunleavy thought he had a deal with Dallas in the summer to trade Corey Maggette, eligible for free agency after this season, for guard Jason Terry. But Sterling, who has said he will not meddle in player personnel but who has always professed a desire to keep Maggette in a Clippers uniform, refused to approve the trade.

Dunleavy also wanted to sign former San Antonio free-agent guard Beno Udrih, but the Clippers' bean counter, Andy Roeser, decided Udrih wasn't worth the money it would take to sign him.

Good to know the accountants have the final say on the roster.

GM Elgin Baylor seems like the odd man out here (after the jump).

"[Dunleavy] isn't acting as GM and coach. Those jobs come with specific descriptions. He's not running the show; we operate as a team."

Dunleavy said he and Baylor agree for the most part, but spend any time around Dunleavy and without question he's moving ahead with a plan of his own. Should Baylor agree with it, great.

Baylor said he's not worried that he will be the one to be dismissed at season's end, but Sterling's comments with Baylor sitting at the other end of the room Monday were the first in memory to be directed so pointedly at Baylor.

As for Dunleavy, Baylor wouldn't say whether he agreed with Sterling's suggestion that some of the players need more coaching.

Dunleavy, though, showed no such restraint. "I totally disagree with that. I can disagree. [Sterling is] saying it, but I don't buy it. I don't think it's factual."

The Orange County Register also had some interesting quotes, which I'd like you to read while thinking about what the best way to run a basketball team would be. Art Thompson III of the Register reports...

Dunleavy said the deals were not nixed by anyone in the basketball operations department and the only higher ranking person than Dunleavy is Elgin Baylor, the organization's long-tenured vice president of basketball operations. But when asked if Baylor was on the same page with him about the deals, Dunleavy said he did not want to speak for Baylor, who did not return a call Tuesday afternoon. Dunleavy added that any prospective player personnel decisions are discussed between him, Baylor and Neil Olshey, the Clippers' director of player personnel.

But when asked who vetoed the deals, Dunleavy said, "Obviously, somebody not in the basketball operations department.''

When asked who would that be, Dunleavy answered, "Take your pick of anybody. I don't know."

Dunleavy signed a four-year, $22 million extension last year which still has $17 million coming to the coach. You gonna eat that, Don?

Looks like Dunleavy will inherit GM Elgin Baylor's personal chair in Secaucus for the NBA draft lottery next year.