<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">One meeting with Coach Mike Dunleavy was all it took for Sam Cassell to embrace the Clippers, who were also upbeat Wednesday on welcoming the point guard. The 12-year veteran reported as scheduled for his physical, and Cassell's opening session with Dunleavy set a positive tone, allaying the Clippers' concerns that their unwillingness to offer him a contract extension might dampen things. Cassell liked what he heard about his role on the team, and he's eager to prove that the Clippers got the right guy. According to Cassell, it won't take long. "My meeting with Mike was cool, real cool," he said. "Mike Dunleavy and I are on the same page, which is what I wanted to hear, because our major goal is to win. "That's what he wants and that's what I want, so it was ? the way you want to get it started. I know what I can do, I know the talent they have on this team, and I know what I can do as a part of this team. It's going to be good, real good." That's the Clippers' view too. "Sam likes the talent on our team, and he believes he can make an immediate impact," said General Manager Elgin Baylor, who also met with Cassell. "Coach talked to Sam about the team, how he will fit in and how we will use him. ? He's a heck of a good basketball player. He has the utmost confidence in his ability, and I really believe he will make a difference." Especially late in games. Cassell prefers to have the ball in his hands in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers envisioned he would. "Mike talked about how to do it, how to win, so he said he's going to use me similar to the way [former coach] Flip Saunders used me in Minnesota," Cassell said. "I had the ball in my hands down the stretch, and I wanted to take the shot. "That's one thing they didn't have here last year, someone to put the ball in his hands down the stretch and take that leadership. That's what I love to do. Mike wants to win, so he wants to have me on the court." The Clippers sent guards Marko Jaric and Lionel Chalmers to the Timberwolves on Aug. 12 for Cassell and a lottery-protected first-round pick in next year's draft. Through his agent, Charles Tucker, Cassell expressed "overall concerns" about joining the team, and Tucker had hoped to discuss a contract extension for Cassell, who has a salary of $6.1 million in the final year of his deal. Baylor, however, shut the door on extension talks, and Cassell apparently has moved on. "That never came up in the conversation with him," Baylor said. Said Tucker: "With Mike Dunleavy here, Sam is coming. He wants to win."</div> Source
Well.. Finally Cassell sees the light. Lol its good hes happy now, i understand why he was mad but, hearing NBA players complain gets annoying.
Damn, if the Clips won it all, Cassell's value would SKYROCKET. And KG'd get really, really pissed! All sarcasm aside, Cassell should take advantage of this situation and prove he still can put up the numbers and get a nice contract next summer when he's a free agent. I just hope he can stay healthy enough to do what he needs to do to get that contract.
I hope Cassell turns this team around and so Garnett will get really really frustrated and he'll become sexually inadequate.
Let's see how happy he'll be when he finds out for a christmas present that he lost his starting job to a 19-year old point guard. But until then, glad to see he's happy.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting C.K.:</div><div class="quote_post">Let's see how happy he'll be when he finds out for a christmas present that he lost his starting job to a 19-year old point guard. But until then, glad to see he's happy.</div> Iam not for sure about this but I think part of Cassell being happy has to due with his talk with Mike D...and in those talks Mike D probably told him that he would be the like starter coming out of training camp, so that secured Cassell's role with the team. I dont know...but I think those are the insurances that the Clippers gave him. They probably didnt even talk that much about the money aspect...cause why would he talk to Mike D about that. The money situation would be between Sam, his agent and the Clips front office, not coaching staff. So that leads me to believe they were just a suring him about his role. And if Cassell is the starter from training camp.....and the Clippers are winning with Cassell at the helm...I doubt the Clippers make a switch mid-year, if everything is going well.
Mike D prefers starting veterans ahead of younger players. He was the head coach who, prevented Jermaine O'neal from getting any playing time in Portland. Mike D agreed to join the Clippers when he had assurances they would build him a team capable of winning. He didn't want to come to the Clippers if they were going to continue being the NBA's version of a minor league farm system. The Clippers made good on their assurances by re-signing Brand and Maggette. The Clippers have lacked a veteran leader and closer down the stretch. If you look at their boxscores, they consistently lose close games, becaue they haven't had a go-to guy. Last year 26 of their 51 losses were by 10 or less points. Having Cassell healthy and closing out games for the Clippers could lead to 10 to 13 more wins, and a 49 to 52 win season for the Clippers.
