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Vinny Del Negro: “I think it’s everyone’s personal decision. He’s been in the league a long time and that’s the way he wanted to handle it. But everyone’s personality and everyone’s situation is a little bit different, but if it makes him happy and it makes him comfortable then I applaud him for having the courage to come out the way he is." NBA.com

Vinny Del Negro, Jason Collins 

There used to be a time when a coach, who led his team into the playoffs, would be in line for a contract extension. Not anymore. There’s a legitimate chance five coaches with teams in the playoffs could be jettisoned. They are Atlanta’s Larry Drew, Brooklyn’s P.J. Carlesimo, Vinny Del Negro of the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis’ Lionel Holllins and Milwaukee’s Jim Boylan. Another coach, Keith Smart of the Sacramento Kings could also lose his job as part of a front office purge. Racine Journal-Times

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching, Keith Smart, Larry Drew, Jim Boylan 

“I believe in what we’ve done here,” Vinny Del Negro said. “I think my assistant coaches have done a phenomenal job and I’ve had great support from ownership and the front office … and everybody to try and put the best team out there possible. Right now the focus should be on the playoffs, should be on the players and the commitment that they’re putting in to help us be successful. And all those things (contract situation) will get answered at the end.” NBA.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching 

Gary Sacks, the Clippers' vice president of basketball operations, wanted to put an end to speculation about Coach Vinny Del Negro's future. Sacks said the organization supports Del Negro and that officials are happy with how the team has played. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching 

"Our head coach and his staff have done a terrific job here," Sacks told The Times on Monday night. "They deserve a huge amount of credit for the way the team has played and the way our roster has developed." Del Negro is in the final year of his contract, leading to speculation that his future with the Clippers is uncertain. Sacks said talk should be about the Clippers playing the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching 

Dan Woike: Vinny Del Negro on 6th Man voting: "You'd be hard pressed to find somebody more deserving than Jamal." Twitter @DanWoikeSports

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Jamal Crawford 

Chris Paul – Unrestricted There is almost no scenario in which Paul is not re-signing with the Clippers. Players who are close with Paul say that he is 100 percent on board with the Clippers long-term and that signing a new maximum contract worth more than $100 million is all but a formality. Paul will have a tremendous amount of input on where the Clippers go this offseason roster-wise and the future of head coach Vinny Del Negro will be something Paul’s voice will also be heard on. But, barring some kind of disastrous injury, Paul will be inking a new deal with the Clippers. So while would-be suitors can dream, that’s all it will be as Paul is as close to locked into a new deal as a player can be without actually signing it. HoopsWorld

Los Angeles Clippers, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching 

Jeff Caplan: Vinny Del Negro was asked if the Lakers have a chance against the Spurs. The former Spur paused briefly and answered: "No." Twitter

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Vinny Del Negro 

The front office turned sour on Del Negro earlier this season when he chatted with Celtics' boss Danny Ainge about a deal to acquire Kevin Garnett. They felt it wasn't his place to do so. Hard feelings remain. Del Negro also isn't as sold on keeping DeAndre Jordan as the front office is, and so there are grounds for continued conflict. If I knew the name of the team's wallflower general manager, I would tell you. Andy Roeser remains Donald Sterling's top aide, but he's lost much of his influence now that Sterling's son-in-law, Eric Miller, has joined the team in training as possibly Sterling's heir apparent. Too early to say if we're talking upgrade. Mike Dunleavy used to work around the front office, bypassing Elgin Baylor to get things done. But he was more the politician, while Del Negro isn't one for sweet talk. Los Angeles Times

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Danny Ainge, Vinny Del Negro, Mike Dunleavy, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor, Andy Roeser 

There recently has been talk that Paul, Jordan and Griffin are at odds, but it sure didn't look like they had problems as they joked around in the locker room after beating the Lakers on Sunday to clinch the first division title in franchise history. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro insisted nothing out of the ordinary is going on with his young team. "There's not this big friction thing going on like people think," Del Negro said. "We've got some good guys. We have to manage (personalities) absolutely. But I know the guys want to win." Long Beach Press-Telegram

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, DeAndre Jordan 

Does Vinny Del Negro think the Clippers have a problem with tension between their best players? He talked about it before Sunday's game with the Lakers. "There's always things that -- the frustration builds. There's no question. And Blake (Griffin) and Chris (Paul) especially are two of our All-Stars and our biggest pieces. I think it's also a good thing because there's some frustration there because we need to play better. If the frustration is everyone pulling in the same direction, it's a positive thing. And I feel that's the case. But it comes down to, enough talking. Go out and perform, go out and get the results that we expect. You have to be able to work together. The chemistry is very important. They have that. It hasn't been as consistent as any of us would like, lately. But it's something that I think the character in the locker room, and the people you're talking about, know that it's very important for everybody to be on the same page." Sulia

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro 

So what, if anything, is missing in terms of the chemistry as leaders between those two? "I don't think the leadership is a question. I just think when you lose a couple tight games, or you're going through a tough patch, or you're handing injuries or inconsistent play, frustration can build up a little bit. Chris and Blake, obviously, the two All-Stars always have to be on the same page, and I feel they are. Blake has been battling a calf injury that has been much worse than I think anyone understands. He's feeling better, but we know he needs to play at a high level, and nobody understands that more than Blake. Blake is hard on himself, and knows he has to play well. As long as he gives great effort, usually great things happen, but with this calf injury that's been difficult lately." Sulia

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Vinny Del Negro 

But Del Negro's well-chronicled desire for the Clips to trade for Boston's Kevin Garnett in February, coupled with his bosses' well-chronicled reluctance to part with both Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan in a KG deal, has spawned the impression of competing agendas behind closed doors in Clipperland. It's also undeniably worrisome for Del Negro that, according to sources, Stan Van Gundy's availability already has the Clippers highly intrigued. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching, Stan Van Gundy 

Vinny Del Negro insisted before a recent loss in Dallas that he has "a great future no matter what." The signals are nonetheless getting louder and louder that said future won't be at Staples Center, with Del Negro working on a flimsy one-year extension and L.A. looking nothing like the team -- whether that's due to health woes, locker-room fissures or coaching issues -- that won 17 straight games in December. Could a deep playoff run save him? Even that might not be enough entering the most critical summer in the Clippers' history, with Chris Paul becoming a free agent July 1 and Clips management having always planned to let Paul have a big say (assuming he wants one) before any coach gets another long-term deal from them. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching 

"Sure, I think he's evolving, but some guys take longer than others," Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said. "It depends on their personality, what their background is, what their work ethic is, the situation they are in." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, DeAndre Jordan 

It's not uncommon to see Jordan glare at Del Negro when he's taken out of a game, and at times they are at odds over minutes. "Vinny is the coach and I'm a player," Jordan said. "That's where it stands. He puts the people out there who he feels gives us the best chance to win. And if I'm out there, I'm out there. If not, I'm not. And then I will cheer on my teammates." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, DeAndre Jordan 

But those missed free throws make him an easy target. "Yeah, I'm aware of it, but I also work on it," Jordan said. "I could understand it if I just didn't work on my free-throw shooting and I'm just going out there and saying, 'I just hope they go in.' That's what people don't understand. "They're like, 'You should work on your free-throw shooting.' What the [heck] you think I'm doing? That's why I think some people are idiots. … Do they think we really go out there — me or Dwight Howard or whoever — do you think we go out there and just try to miss them?" Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, DeAndre Jordan 

Jordan wants nothing to do with Coach Vinny Del Negro because he blames Del Negro for burying him on the bench. Yet Jordan's inability to play consistently or make free throws, thereby turning the ball over to the opposition much like a turnover, makes him a liability in close games. Jordan sees it differently, and he has for the last two seasons, maintaining he would be more productive if allowed to play more. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, DeAndre Jordan 

Dan Woike: "It's up to them. All I can do is put them in and take them out of the game." --- VDN on starter's response to loss in HOU Twitter @DanWoikeSports

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching 

There is so much at stake for the Clippers. Paul is an unrestricted free agent at season's end, and while all indications are that he's going to make L.A. his permanent home, no one from Clipper Darrell to Billy Crystal to Jimmy Goldstein (see below) is going to be comfortable until Paul signs a deal. This is a team built to win now, with Paul running the show. Everything is in limbo until then -- including the future of Coach Vinny Del Negro, in the last year of his deal. Del Negro gets high marks, according to a source, for dealing with the team's injuries all season. But the Clips' fortunes in the playoffs could well determine his fate. NBA.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Coaching