Clippers Sign Another Player That Should Be In Boston

Several weeks after taking veteran free agent Brevin Knight off the free agent market, the Clippers have once again swooped in and nabbed an unemployed NBA vet in Ruben Patterson.

Both guys know how to fill a role, they play hard, and can really help round out a winning team. The problem? The Clippers aren't a winning team. Not only that, they aren't at all equipped to handle these personalities. Knight has been rumored to be a bit of a handful (in the "Grumpy Gus" sense) in the locker room, while Patterson once had to roll around with one of those electronic ankle bracelets after he sexually assaulted his nanny. Guys like that don't assimilate all that well to unstable situations, which is exactly what the Clippers have. The other L.A. team has an injured Elton Brand, an injured Shaun Livingtson, and a perpetually injured Sam Cassell. That's the core. Then there's overpaid Chris Kaman, oft-injured and disenfranchised Corey Maggette, and "always missing Steve Francis" Cuttino Mobley on the edges. Does that sound like a proper cauldron to be throwing Ruben Patterson into? Or even Brevin Knight?

Not only that, but Patterson just became roster overkill. The only place where the Clippers have any real depth right now is at small forward. They've got Maggette to score, Quentin Ross to defend, and rookie Al Thornton to do a bit of everything. How are they even going to get the Nanny Stopper on the court? It's a disaster.

On the other hand, we have the Boston Celtics. You might recall that when the KG trade first happened, I implored Danny Ainge to sign these very players. Brevin Knight would be the perfect fit to back up Rajon Rondo - he could give the C's a solid 20 minutes a game at the point while teaching the youngster a few tricks. Knight has always been a fabulous passer and terrific help defender, which would have only aided Rondo's development in those areas. As for Patterson, he was the perfect compliment to their perimeter rotation. He hustles, plays with energy, shoots a high percentage, defends, and offers some decent athleticism. How on earth is James Posey a better choice for that spot?

Anyway. It's just weird to see both of the guys that could have perfectly rounded out the Boston roster wind up in an awful situation 3,000 miles away. It's like the bizarro result of what should have happened.

Oh well, maybe this means Maggette is finally on his way out of town.