In the 2005/06 season, the Clippers finished 47-35, topping their L.A. rivals by two games. Since then, the Lakers have finished ahead of the Clippers in the standings every season, but the two teams are in a neck-and-neck race for the Pacific Division crown this year. The Clippers will head into the All-Star break with a slight lead, as even a win for the Lakers in Oklahoma City tonight would only reduce the Clips' lead to a half-game. Here are a few afternoon links out of the Pacific:
- At the end of his midseason awards, Ken Berger of CBS Sports names Stephen Jackson the "most disgruntled" player and Steve Nash the "most likely to be traded." The Nash note is interesting, since it still appears the Suns have no intention of dealing Nash unless he asks out. Presumably, Berger believes that's a real possibility.
- Magic Johnson continues to weigh in on the Lakers, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times writes. In addition to suggesting a meeting between Kobe Bryant and Jim Buss, Magic also said the team needs to make "one or two trades" before the deadline.
- Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee continues to hear that the threat to the Kings staying in Sacramento comes from Anaheim rather than Seattle. Seattle is years away from opening the doors on a new building and would need to find someone willing to sell a franchise.
- Earlier this afternoon, we looked at the Warriors' asking price for Monta Ellis.