Jan 20, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center. Timberwolves won 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Clippers looked to have turned over a new leaf after trading for Chris Paul, and having the best regular season winning percentage in franchise history. They are doing their best job of shooting themselves in the foot this off-season though; they exercised the option on Vinny Del Negro, and then let Neil Olshey get courted away by the Portland Trail Blazers. Both of these moves point to one man… Donald Sterling.

Neil Olshey could not have done a better job this year with the Clippers roster; he brought in Chris Paul, Caron Butler, and Chauncey Billups all in the same week. He also supplemented the roster with capable, affordable free agents. Why was he dropped like a hot potato then? It’s all about money, and what Donald Sterling doesn’t want to spend. Vinny Del Negro on the other hand was Donald Sterling’s favorite when the Clippers were interviewing for head coaches, while Olshey liked Dwane Casey better. I think we all know how that one turned out.

“The money was a wash. It wasn’t about that,” Neil Olshey said of his departure. “It was really about proactively the organization (Portland) was willing to make a commitment to me…I wanted to be here because Paul (Allen) wanted me to be here.”

If the Clippers want to go farther than the second round of the playoffs, then they will need a GM as competent as Olshey to surround Chris Paul and Blake Griffin with the right pieces to contend for a championship. And if Donald Sterling isn’t willing to spend the money on an elite executive, then he might not get the elite results he is looking for.

Mar 15, 2012, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and guard Chris Paul (3) react during the game against the Phoenix Suns at the Staples Center. The Suns defeated the Clippers 91-87. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Donald Sterling is probably not an easy man to work for; miser is one of the least rude things said about his character, and he was probably trying to low-ball Neil Olshey’s new contract. Will Olshey regret not being able to see where he could take this Clippers team though? This is by no means an insult to the Portland Trail Blazers; they have an excellent organization with a commitment to winning and a lot of great pieces. Not least of which is All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

But the Clippers have an All-Star power porward of their own: Blake Griffin. They also have a 1st Team All NBA point guard in Chris Paul, who together form one of the most devastating pick and roll finishes in the NBA. The Clippers were still figuring things out on the fly this year, and Blake Griffin still led the NBA in points in the paint and dunks(192), which is 42 more than the next closest player. Chris Paul also had a phenomenal year, finishing 3rd in MVP voting.

What will this pair be able to accomplish with a full off-season behind them? To be truthful, it might be hard to go farther in the playoffs or even have a better winning percentage next year, because the West is so tough, and Olshey did an incredible job filling out this year’s roster with so little time as a result of the lockout. He added Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, and Paul(all former all-stars) in a period of 6 days). He then added help in Kenyon Martin, Reggie Evans, and Nick Young; every single one of those guys(except the injured Billups) contributed to how the Clippers succeeded in the regular and post-season. It will take an equally adept GM to get the Clippers beyond where they went this year.

Will Olshey look back at all though, and think: what could

I

have accomplished with this roster?