Chad Ford: Clippers Game Plan for Landing LeBron

At last, the time has come. After many months of anticipation, NBA teams will finally get to talk to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and a number of other stars about joining them. At 12:01 a.m. on Thursday morning, free agency begins.

In recent weeks, I’ve detailed how the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat will make their respective pitches to LeBron when July 1 arrives.

One of the teams invited to make its pitch to King James is the Los Angeles Clippers, a franchise known more as court jesters than as royalty. But the Clips have some factors in their favor when talking to LeBron.

As in the case of the Knicks and Nets, a well-placed source familiar with the Clippers’ plans has provided insight into how the team will pursue LeBron.

When Clippers owner Donald Sterling and GM Neil Olshey make their pitch to LeBron and his team of advisers, here’s how they’ll do it, according to our source:

1. “We have a very attractive core.”

We’ve spent time examining the young supporting casts in New York, Chicago and New Jersey. But the Clippers will argue theirs is even better.

“The Clippers’ starting four is really loaded with talent,” the source said. “Baron Davis and Chris Kaman have both been All-Stars, Eric Gordon is one of the more dynamic young players in the league and Blake Griffin, now that he’s healthy, is going to be a beast.”

The Clippers have a strong young core, centered around lottery picks Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon.

The Clippers’ biggest selling point will be Griffin, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He averaged 22.7 points and 14.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Oklahoma in 2008-09, then missed his rookie season with a fracture in his left knee. He’s healthy now, and is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the league — an explosive, physical power forward. With Griffin and Kaman, an All-Star for the first time in his career last season while averaging 18.9 points and 9.2 rebounds a game, the Clippers can boast an emerging, talented frontcount.

In the backcourt the Clippers have Davis, one of the most dynamic point guards in the league when he’s healthy and motivated. Davis has seemed to lose some of his explosiveness since signing two seasons ago and picks his spots these days. But when he’s focused and committed, he’s still as dangerous as any other guard in the game.

Gordon is the type of dead-eye shooter who could thrive playing alongside LeBron. With defenses having to collapse on James and Griffin, the Clippers would be able to use him in the spot-up sniper role at which he’s most effective.

The Clippers’ bench, however, could be an issue — it would be pretty thin if they were to sign James. But they do have incoming rookie forward Al-Farouq Aminu, rookie point guard Eric Bledsoe and 21-year-old center DeAndre Jordan, three players with promise.

Their biggest hole is at small forward — which just so happens to be LeBron’s position.

2. “We have a GM who understands LeBron.”

Olshey is unlike any other general manager in the league, a former TV actor who moved into high school hoops and eventually into the NBA realm.

New Clips GM Neil Olshey coached LeBron at two different camps when James was in high school.

As a coach at the Reebok ABCD Camp and while running agent Arn Tellem’s famous one-on-none draft prospect workouts for NBA GMs and scouts, Olshey gained a rep as a people person who could connect with players. Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy hired him to be the director of player personnel in 2005, and Olshey moved up to the role of assistant GM in 2008. In that role, Olshey essentially ran the day-to-day operations of the franchise while Dunleavy coached the team. When Dunleavy was let go during the 2009-10 season, Sterling handed Olshey the head job.

So what qualifies him to put together a winner in L.A.?

“Two things,” a source said. “One, Neil has an ability to connect with players that few NBA executives do. He’s a great communicator. Second, he was involved for years in trying to dupe NBA GMs into taking kids that weren’t ready. You can’t dupe Neil anymore. He’s got a great eye for talent and which kids to take risks on.”

And he already has a relationship with LeBron.

Olshey actually coached LeBron twice in high school, once at the Reebok ABCD Camp after James’ junior year and at the Roundball Classic his senior year.

“He’s one of the few GMs, maybe the only GM, who has any sort of relationship with LeBron,” the source said. “I’m not saying they’re best friends, but Olshey’s been around LeBron a long time and knows him as well as anyone.”

3. “We have an owner who wants to win (really).”

Usually, any serious discussion of LeBron to the Clippers comes to an end when Sterling’s name is mentioned. For the better part of the past 30 years, Sterling has been the model of incompetent ownership. His team has been profitable for the most part, but not because it has been successful on the court — the Clippers have had only two winning seasons in 30 years under Sterling.

When reports surfaced recently that music mogul David Geffen was trying to purchase the Clippers from Sterling, the news was met with uniform approval from every circle. Getting rid of Sterling and replacing him with a billionaire like Geffen could be a game-changer.

Alas, it isn’t to be. All sources reiterate what the Clippers said when the report surfaced: Sterling has no interest in selling the Clippers. Not to Geffen. Not to anyone.

So, if Sterling is the owner, why would any player want to go there?

“Sterling’s an easy target because he’s made a lot of mistakes, but over the course of the last six or seven years, what has he done?” the source said. “He’s paid players the max, he almost landed Kobe Bryant from the Lakers, he’s spent and spent and spent to put a winner on the floor. He upgraded the team’s practice court to a $50 million, state-of-the-art facility.

“Sterling wants the Clippers to be a winner. He’s been spending the money to do it. The team just needs a break, and LeBron could be that guy.

“The Clippers may not have much cachet and Sterling may be a joke to a lot of people. But had he landed Kobe a few years ago, everything would have changed. If he gets LeBron this time, in five years people won’t remember the old Donald or the old Clippers. That’s how big a deal this is to the franchise.”