It's a tough day to be a Clipper fan. At a time when the Lakers are dealing with Kobe chaos, it seemed possible that the Clippers could score some brownie points on their crosstown rivals this season. But the Clippers will be hard-pressed to recapture their 2005-06 magic, after the devastating news that Elton Brand has ruptured his Achilles' tendon and will miss at least the first two months of the season. Brand is a consummate professional, an unheralded star player, and he just produced a terrific film. We wish him the best in his recovery.

The news comes at the same time that the Clippers answered their point guard need with a nifty signing in Brevin Knight. A good teammate and a great passer, Knight will now have to do his best to set up Tim Thomas and Aaron Williams at the power forward position.