Clippers Left With Only Promises

The Clippers will play their final game tonight at Seattle knowing they will finish with the second-worst record in franchise history.

Not an easy accomplishment considering their past.

But in losing, 116-100, to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday before 18,964 at Staples Center, the Clippers extended their winless streak to 17 games, two shy of a franchise record.

The loss dropped the Clippers to 14-67. Only the 12-70 team of 1986-87 finished a full season with less victories.

“I promise you, we’re never going to have another season like this,” said Andy Roeser, executive vice president. “We’re going to do everything possible to [turn things around].”

The Clippers’ latest season to forget may end up costing some jobs.

“When you have a season like this, you have to examine every single facet of our operation,” Roeser said.

“We’re going to start the process as soon as the season is over.”

With rookie Lamar Odom and shooting guard Derek Anderson added to the mix with power forward Maurice Taylor and center Michael Olowokandi, the Clippers had good reason to expect a productive season.

“We really thought we would be able to compete for one of the final playoff spots,” said Anderson, who came from Cleveland in a trade last summer for Lamond Murray.

So what went wrong?

For starters, the season didn’t begin well when Taylor, the top returning scorer, told anyone who would listen that he was playing his final season as a Clipper because owner Donald Sterling refused to give him a long-term contract extension.

With Taylor already determined to leave as a free agent this summer, the Clippers’ nucleus for the future was shaky before they played their first game.

Chris Ford, in his second season as coach, didn’t have a chance. With the Clippers desperately needing leadership, Ford’s control of the team was damaged once Taylor spoke out.

The Clippers began the season losing and continued to do so throughout the first month. By Dec. 11, they were 4-16. By late January, Ford’s days were numbered and he was finally let go on Feb. 3 with the Clippers sporting an 11-34 record.

Enter assistant Jim Todd, who took over as interim coach and soon after had Dennis Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as assistants. Nothing changed, however, as the Clippers continued to lose games and players to injuries.

“The guys just didn’t want to do it . . . we went through a coaching change and then the players just didn’t do it,” Anderson said. “We were the youngest team in the NBA and it showed.”

Todd understands that the first thing people will look at is his record as interim coach, which dropped to 3-33 with Tuesday night’s loss, but he has learned a lot over the last three months and hopes to be around next season.

“It’s been an up-and down experience emotionally,” Todd said. “You want to win no matter where you are at. . . . Whether it is in the NBA or coaching high school. Losing has been the depressing part but it is something you have to deal with.”

Todd said when he replaced Ford, he thought the Clippers would win more games and blames part of their losing on the nagging injuries to key players Taylor, Anderson and Odom, along with season-ending injuries to role players Brian Skinner and Eric Murdock.

“Nobody has had to deal with the [number of] injuries we’ve had,” Todd said. “Out of our top seven guys, more often than not, we had at least three out.”

Although Taylor and Anderson have both said they plan to leave as free agents this summer, Roeser said the team still has them in its plans.

But the chances of them re-signing Taylor in even a sign-and-trade deal is unlikely. Anderson may want to return but his asking price is expected to be too high for Sterling’s taste.

Regardless of who returns next season, the atmosphere around the team will have to change.

“We can’t afford to have anyone feeling sorry for themselves, from the players, coaches, to whoever,” Olowokandi said. “Everybody involved has to have the drive to be the best. There are a lot of teams that are less talented than we are but they won a lot more games than they should. We have to get our attitude in check and have everything about winning.”

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The Comings and Goings

The Clipper roster with the contract status of each player:

DEREK ANDERSON

Guard

Free agent who will test the market this summer.

ANTHONY AVENT

Forward

Free agent who is not expected to return.

ETDRICK BOHANNON

Forward

Signed through 2001-02 season.

PETE CHILCUTT

Forward

Free agent who could return next season.

KEITH CLOSS

Center

Signed through 2001-02 season.

CHARLES JONES

Guard

Free agent who could return next season.

JEFF McINNIS

Guard

Signed through 2000-01 season.

ERIC MURDOCK

Guard

Signed through 2000-01 season.

TYRONE NESBY

Forward

Signed through 2001-02 season.

LAMAR ODOM

Guard/Forward

Signed through 2001-02 season.

MICHAEL OLOWOKANDI

Center

Signed through 2000-01 season.

ERIC PIATKOWSKI

Guard

Signed through 2001-02 season.

BRIAN SKINNER

Forward

Signed through 2000-01 season.

MAURICE TAYLOR

Forward

Free agent who is not expected to return.