I don’t think any Clipper fan denies that, under normal circumstances, Mike Dunleavy would have been fired a while ago. However, Steve Perrin of SB Nation’s Clipper blog Clips Nation writes that he was surprised the decision happened now, when the Clippers were merely mediocre in the face of major injuries rather than downright terrible, like they were in the past.
Clips Nation: Interesting Timing On Dunleavy Decision
I wrote a lot about the Clippers’ need to move forward with a new coach last year. When it didn’t happen, and when Blake Griffin ended up missing the entire season this year, I assumed he was safe for the rest of this season at least. The team was performing better on the court (they’ve already surpassed last season’s win total) and there were plenty of injury excuses still - if he’d remained coach before, I assumed he’d remain coach through this year.
So for a move to occur now, while the team has a semi-respectable .429 winning percentage, is certainly a surprise. The losses in New Jersey, Minnesota and Cleveland over the last eight days were embarrassing to be certain - but the injury excuse card was readily available, with Blake Griffin out for the season, Marcus Camby hurt during the Nets game, and Chris Kaman missing the next two. So if this is a case of Dunleavy being forced out, it’s hard to figure. Why now?
Perrin poses three reasons for the timing of Dunleavy’s firing. One is that, by appointing assistant coach Kim Hughes in-season rather than finding a new coach in the offseason, the Clippers can move on amicably and avoid paying two coaches’ salaries. The second reason is that the friction between Dunleavy and Baron Davis was resurfacing. Finally, with the trade deadline and 2010 free agency approaching, Dunleavy does in fact need to focus more on his role as general manager.
See More:
