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![3D"T.J.](3D"http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/columnist/2003-06/267119.j=)
=20
Clippers owner Sterling puts it on Dunleavy to win
He says he's paying the coach a lot of money =
to perform.=20
Dunleavy says the organization bears some of the blame.
OK, SO I find myself writing nice things about=20
GeorgiaFrontiere and Donald Sterling in the same =
week,=20
relieved to know I can say the Chargers are still =
losers.
Sterling's team=20 continues to flop too, but while you would think by now he'd be used to = defeat,=20 the guy sitting across the table after watching Utah run the Clippers = off their=20 own court Monday afternoon sure appeared to be perturbed.
![3D""=20](3D"http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/trb.latimes/sports/basketball/nba/cli=)
"I'm not happy," Sterling =
said. "The=20
fans aren't happy, and can't be happy when they don't see a motivated=20
performance.
"I want to make L.A. fans proud of this team, but if = [ElginBaylor and Mike Dunleavy] can't make it = happen, then=20 I have no choice but to make changes."
Talk about tossing a = curveball.=20 Two seasons ago, Sterling sat at the same dinner table in Phoenix with = Mike=20 Dunleavy, the Clippers scheduled to play a seventh game in Round 2 = of the=20 NBA playoffs the next night against the Suns.
Sterling said at = the time,=20 "I love Mike Dunleavy," a season later giving him four more years for = $22=20 million, and making him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the=20 NBA.
Now 37 games into that contract, and after searching = Dunleavy out=20 for a heart-to-heart after the Utah loss, Sterling said he expects more = from his=20 coach.
"That's why I'm paying [Dunleavy] the money I am," he = said. "I=20 want to see him win. I don't want to tell him how to do it. I'm just = interested=20 in the conclusion. My whole philosophy is hire the best people and let = them do=20 their jobs.
"There is no alternative, you have to rely on them, = and if it=20 doesn't work out, either you're patient or make changes,=20 right?"
Dunleavy, asked about the owner's frustration, said, "I'm = very=20 frustrated too. But I'm also frustrated with the organization. I saw = this=20 coming, but had two deals out there that they didn't want to do. It = contributed=20 to where we are now."
Sterling owes Dunleavy another $17 million, = which=20 would be an expensive divorce.
"I don't think you're ever in love = with=20 your coach," he said in dismissing that one night in Phoenix. "Do you = think=20 anybody loves their coach? They're just a necessity."
Before I = could=20 bring up Jeanie Buss, he said, "I've always liked [Dunleavy]. I = respect=20 the coach, but the bottom line in this business is winning, and I don't = care if=20 the coach is your relative, if you're not winning, you're not happy. If = you hate=20 the coach and he wins, you love him."
IN A wide-ranging interview = touching on the future Clippers status of Elton Brand, Corey = Maggette=20 and Sam Cassell, he made it clear he has no interest = finishing this=20 season with a lottery pick, and expects the Clippers to still be = successful=20 despite a 12-25 start.
"I think we can absolutely win this year," = he=20 said. "If we could bring in one quality player in a trade, it could = change the=20 whole chemistry of the team."
The Clippers' future appears bright = if=20 Brand and ShaunLivingston recover fully from injuries, = some=20 suggesting it might be best now to get rid of a veteran such as Cassell = at the=20 trading deadline, and get younger.
"I want to win and I'm more = interested=20 in winning than the lottery," Sterling said. "Our fans are entitled to = see our=20 players busting their butts to win. If Sam Cassell or anybody else can = help us,=20 whether it's for a month, a year or five years, I want them to help=20 us."
Brand and Maggette will have the chance to opt out of their=20 contracts and become free agents at the end of the season, but Sterling = said=20 he's not concerned.
"One, based on my conversation with Elton, = he's not=20 going to opt out," said Sterling. "And two, whatever he asks for, I = think he=20 deserves. He is our franchise player, we need him. You saw a short time = ago we=20 were pretty close to being a special team, and now without him you see = how=20 difficult it is."
Brand is due to earn more than $16 million next = season,=20 while Maggette, who is scheduled to earn $7 million, has already turned = down a=20 $8.5-million-a-year deal from the Clippers.
Sterling's team=20 continues to flop too, but while you would think by now he'd be used to = defeat,=20 the guy sitting across the table after watching Utah run the Clippers = off their=20 own court Monday afternoon sure appeared to be perturbed.
"I want to make L.A. fans proud of this team, but if = [ElginBaylor and Mike Dunleavy] can't make it = happen, then=20 I have no choice but to make changes."
Talk about tossing a = curveball.=20 Two seasons ago, Sterling sat at the same dinner table in Phoenix with = Mike=20 Dunleavy, the Clippers scheduled to play a seventh game in Round 2 = of the=20 NBA playoffs the next night against the Suns.
Sterling said at = the time,=20 "I love Mike Dunleavy," a season later giving him four more years for = $22=20 million, and making him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the=20 NBA.
Now 37 games into that contract, and after searching = Dunleavy out=20 for a heart-to-heart after the Utah loss, Sterling said he expects more = from his=20 coach.
"That's why I'm paying [Dunleavy] the money I am," he = said. "I=20 want to see him win. I don't want to tell him how to do it. I'm just = interested=20 in the conclusion. My whole philosophy is hire the best people and let = them do=20 their jobs.
"There is no alternative, you have to rely on them, = and if it=20 doesn't work out, either you're patient or make changes,=20 right?"
Dunleavy, asked about the owner's frustration, said, "I'm = very=20 frustrated too. But I'm also frustrated with the organization. I saw = this=20 coming, but had two deals out there that they didn't want to do. It = contributed=20 to where we are now."
Sterling owes Dunleavy another $17 million, = which=20 would be an expensive divorce.
"I don't think you're ever in love = with=20 your coach," he said in dismissing that one night in Phoenix. "Do you = think=20 anybody loves their coach? They're just a necessity."
Before I = could=20 bring up Jeanie Buss, he said, "I've always liked [Dunleavy]. I = respect=20 the coach, but the bottom line in this business is winning, and I don't = care if=20 the coach is your relative, if you're not winning, you're not happy. If = you hate=20 the coach and he wins, you love him."
IN A wide-ranging interview = touching on the future Clippers status of Elton Brand, Corey = Maggette=20 and Sam Cassell, he made it clear he has no interest = finishing this=20 season with a lottery pick, and expects the Clippers to still be = successful=20 despite a 12-25 start.
"I think we can absolutely win this year," = he=20 said. "If we could bring in one quality player in a trade, it could = change the=20 whole chemistry of the team."
The Clippers' future appears bright = if=20 Brand and ShaunLivingston recover fully from injuries, = some=20 suggesting it might be best now to get rid of a veteran such as Cassell = at the=20 trading deadline, and get younger.
"I want to win and I'm more = interested=20 in winning than the lottery," Sterling said. "Our fans are entitled to = see our=20 players busting their butts to win. If Sam Cassell or anybody else can = help us,=20 whether it's for a month, a year or five years, I want them to help=20 us."
Brand and Maggette will have the chance to opt out of their=20 contracts and become free agents at the end of the season, but Sterling = said=20 he's not concerned.
"One, based on my conversation with Elton, = he's not=20 going to opt out," said Sterling. "And two, whatever he asks for, I = think he=20 deserves. He is our franchise player, we need him. You saw a short time = ago we=20 were pretty close to being a special team, and now without him you see = how=20 difficult it is."
Brand is due to earn more than $16 million next = season,=20 while Maggette, who is scheduled to earn $7 million, has already turned = down a=20 $8.5-million-a-year deal from the Clippers.
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