Sterling's directive, though, to improve the team by the trading deadline makes one wonder whether he's setting Baylor up to take the fall for this season's disastrous record. He still owes Dunleavy $17 million on a contract, and if Dunleavy is so determined to call all the shots, then why not let him?
"I don't know of any team that's going to give up a terrific player and Donald T. understands that," Baylor said, which tells me he wasn't listening when Sterling spoke. "[Dunleavy] isn't acting as GM and coach. Those jobs come with specific descriptions. He's not running the show; we operate as a team."
Dunleavy said he and Baylor agree for the most part, but spend any time around Dunleavy and without question he's moving ahead with a plan of his own. Should Baylor agree with it, great.
Baylor said he's not worried that he will be the one to be dismissed at season's end, but Sterling's comments with Baylor sitting at the other end of the room Monday were the first in memory to be directed so pointedly at Baylor.
As for Dunleavy, Baylor wouldn't say whether he agreed with Sterling's suggestion that some of the players need more coaching.
Dunleavy, though, showed no such restraint. "I totally disagree with that. I can disagree. [Sterling is] saying it, but I don't buy it. I don't think it's factual."
Dunleavy says he has respect for Sterling, and said he signed on to be coach of the team believing Sterling would do what it took to field a winner, even though others felt differently.
But he disputed Sterling's contention that injuries cannot be used as an excuse for a team now with only 12 wins.
"I'm not using injuries as an excuse," Dunleavy said before using injuries as an excuse. "But you can't put your head in the sand either. We have $30 million in players sitting in suits at each game because of injuries. Let's go into every game and let me take $20 [million] to $30 million off everybody's bench.
"I think our franchise is in great shape. There are a lot of other teams struggling in this league and they've got no hope. We don't have a chance to be good, we have a chance to be really good."
Dunleavy says he appreciates Sterling's frustration, and believes some of it might have to do with season-ticket renewals, but he says Clippers fans understand what's going on, and will have the patience to hang with the team.
"I'm not sure we're packing enough faith in our fans; I think our fans are more intelligent and sophisticated and understand," he said.
