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from the Seattle Post Intelligencer:

"We have another high draft pick, Al Thornton had an amazing rookie year, and Chris Kaman had a great first half," Brand said. "We have a chance to rebuild quickly. Things just didn't go the way we wanted to this year because of the injuries. I know other teams got better, but we would have improved also."

also, from the same source:

Next year, Brand promises, the Clippers will be back and this season was merely an aberration, not a permanent return to the bad ol' days.

"I see myself as the face of the organization," he said. "When I went down the record spoke for itself. We haven't been that bad in a long time. I just don't want to lose what we have established."
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As a great optimist, I find this all very heartening, and just what I've been hoping for, myself. Certainly, watching Thornton and Kaman this year has held promise as well as pleasure. If the off season is handled deftly, with a smart trade or two and a good draft pick, Elton, Chris and Al could cornerstone a team we could be really proud of next year.

I can't find the edit button, and I forgot to provide the link to the article, so here it is:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketbal ... bok04.html

EB's a smart guy. He's not gonna give up on his team because of one bad year, we know he's gonna keep on fighting to get us to the top.

On that same note, the day that even Elton Brand gives up on us....it might be a good time to jump ship!

Jump ship?

JJ LoDuca wrote:EB's a smart guy. He's not gonna give up on his team because of one bad year, we know he's gonna keep on fighting to get us to the top.

On that same note, the day that even Elton Brand gives up on us....it might be a good time to jump ship!

I don't know about that. Although if that time comes I really hope we just fire everyone in the front office and just try to start over.

I don't really have a backup team to cheer for so I'm stuck with the Clips no matter what. I will admit that if we go back to being a sub-par team I won't be staying up to date as much as I do now.

I'm a Clipper fan for the rest of my life. There is no switching teams for me. The last time I switched was from being a Laker fan to a Clipper fan. (I was a fan of both, but then Clippers moved to #1). I can't ever see myself leaving the Clippers.

Nice find Cinnamon.

I love what EB is saying and for the most part I agree with him. Some teams in the West have gotten better, some have shortened their windows and then you have some that are years away. To really be comfortable we need the stars to align this summer. We have some great pieces and just need that backcourt help.

If EB did leave, then it would kind of be like this season except it would be without the hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel.

Oh you guys...of course I wasn't serious about jumpin' the Clipper ship, been down for too long to ever love anyone else-- you know how it is! Just trying to prove the point...EB looks like he's in for the long haul. I think it's gonna be a good offseason. The Maggette situation is sure to make things interesting.

I'll never leave Clipper nation with or w/o EB but I prefer having him on the team

BTW I guess Thornton and Kaman did a real good job of convincing EB to stay with their improved play this season.