After Draft-Day Bonanza, It’s Much Hipper to Coach Clippers

Now that the Clippers have added more talent than anyone expected from several draft-day decisions, the team must address a couple of important issues that will dictate how well their new additions will work together.

High on the list is naming a coach. With promising young players Darius Miles, Keyon Dooling, Quentin Richardson and Corey Maggette being joined by veteran big men Sean Rooks and Derek Strong, the Clippers are no longer looked upon as a team with no future.

Which adds a new wrinkle to Elgin Baylor’s coaching search.

“I’m taking calls from people,” said Baylor, the Clippers’ vice president of basketball operations who has been contacted by some representatives for head coaches already employed in the league. “When you look at the talent of this team, I figured we would probably get more. I think there are going to be a lot of people who would like to coach this team now, and I am happy about that.”

Because David Falk, who represents Miles and Richardson, has a close relationship with former San Antonio and Philadelphia Coach John Lucas (Falk’s first player client in the NBA), there are some who feel Lucas has moved to the head of the list.

Although Falk made a strong pitch for Lucas on Thursday, Baylor did not tip his hand and plans to take his time looking over candidates even though the period that allows contact with free agents begins Saturday.

“We have to look over the coaching prospects a little bit differently than we did before [because of the team’s new makeup],” said Baylor, who still considers current assistant Dennis Johnson a strong candidate. “We’re not going to pinpoint a date. We are going to spend more time trying to find the best coach for this particular team.”

Baylor is not afraid to go weeks without a coach because having the team’s young players on the Clippers’ summer league team is not a high priority. Miles and Richardson are expected to remain in Chicago, according to Falk.

Even without a coach, the Clippers are expected to be busy taking sign-and-trade offers for their free agents, power forward Maurice Taylor and shooting guard Derek Anderson.

Taylor, who is also represented by Falk, has backed off his stand of taking less money elsewhere instead of helping the Clippers get something in return. And with the Clippers’ new group of players added to the mix, the franchise is not as hard-pressed to accept any deal, which makes for an interesting summer.

“[Drafting Miles and Richardson] doesn’t affect the situation [with Taylor],” Falk said. “Starting on Saturday, we will deal with the Mo situation. . . . We told them recently that if they cooperate and we can do it quickly, [a sign-and-trade] deal will be done. Mo’s made a decision and I think he is going to stick with his decision.”

With Detroit, Orlando and New York high on Taylor’s list of prospective teams, the Clippers still hold the upper hand. They want to add experienced players to their roster of young players, who are similar in style and athletic ability.

Working out a deal for Anderson could also fill an important void for the Clippers. Although Denver and San Antonio have made strong pushes for Anderson, the Clippers could be involved in a three-way deal with Miami and Charlotte that would include sending Eddie Jones to the Heat, P.J. Brown to the Clippers and Anderson to the Hornets.

“People were already interested in us moving some players on draft night,” Baylor said. “When it comes to making deals, having [talent] gives us leverage.”