GETTING INSIDE
There Elton Brand sat, in the lobby of the Los Angeles Clippers' interim practice site, attacking a plate of egg whites, devouring a huge side order of turkey bacon.
Meanwhile, teammate Shaun Livingston was in the gym, playfully dribbling a basketball through his legs, while the rest of his teammates walked off the floor, following the morning shoot-around.
They would rather have Elton Brand — their two-time All-Star forward, attacking the boards for offensive put backs and devouring would-be opposing penetrators with blocked shots.
The Clippers would much rather prefer Livingston directing the offense out on the floor in games instead of shooting alone on the court, when practice is concluded.
But that was the fate delivered the Clippers, when Livingston went down last February, with a devastating left injury, and Brand was lost when he ruptured his left Achilles' tendon last August.
Since then, the two major cogs for the Clippers have been steadfastly adhering to their rehabilitation programs, but on the court, their teammates have fared poorly due to their absence.
Shaking his head between bites, Brand confirmed that it would not be anytime soon when he would put on his No. 42 jersey and take his usual place on the left block.
Half an hour later, Livingston revealed that it would be mid-March, at the earliest, when he would be able to play in a game.
So, that would seem to scuttle the Clippers' training-camp hopes of staying at .500 or better up to the All-Star break in February, with the expectation that Brand and Livingston would return shortly after the break.
Realistically, it would appear farfetched to believe that either Brand or Livingston could return in time to play, at most, 20 games this season. And if that is the case, then why would either bother to come back at all, without the benefit of a training-camp preparation?
MAGIC 113, CLIPPERS 106: The Clippers fought back twice from 18-point deficits but could not complete the task in falling to their third straight loss and ninth defeat in the past 10 games.
Six Orlando players scored in double-figures, led by Hedo Turkoglu's game-high 28 points. The Clippers never led in the game and the loss dropped their home record to 5-12.
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