Press Telegram SANTA BARBARA ? Sam Cassell has his future all figured out. He plans on leading the Clippers to the playoffs, playing three more years and then coaching. While a lot of players shy away from looking beyond the present, Cassell is the opposite. The benefit for the Clippers of Cassell's plan to coach is that having him on the floor is almost like having another assistant coach out there. At least that's what he says, pointing out that the Clippers' other key offseason acquisition, Cuttino Mobley, also helps as a pseudo assistant. "Mike (Dunleavy) just wants to coach the team," Cassell said. "If he feels like we're out of shape, he can come talk to Cuttino or myself. We're going to run when we have to run. If we're not executing or if we have some bad practices, he has the right to tell us to run, and I'll be the first one to get on line and run." Cassell and Dunleavy have at least one thing in common: They say that point guards make the best coaches. Dunleavy, a former point guard, sees that he and Cassell mastered a position in which it is necessary to have full knowledge of the game. "I look at everyone on the court," Cassell said. "Being a point guard on a basketball team, you've got to know just not your position, you got to know everyone's position. If one guy has a breakdown, it breaks the whole set down. I have to understand everyone's position and demeanor on the court." Cassell will turn 36 next month, and he said that he wants to play three more seasons. He also indicated that this could be his last season playing major minutes. Source
