We thought... That the loss of Elton Brand would represent a setback for the Clippers.

But we didn’t know... That with the addition of Baron Davis and Marcus Camby it ever would grow this bad.

Like so many other Clippers rosters in recent seasons, this is a team with more name appeal than chemistry.

Of course, that always is a concern with Davis, who has a penchant for spending significant portions of games going off on his own.

Randolph is emerging as the Clippers' best player. What does that say?

We thought... The 76ers might not have been as complete as some anticipated with the addition of Brand.

But we didn’t know... That Philadelphia could possibly end November at the bottom of the Atlantic Division behind even New Jersey and New York.

It certainly is an unusual mix of experience and youth, what with Andre Miller at times giving way to Lou Williams.

But, more than that, it is a team that perhaps overstated what it had in Andre Iguodala, a good-but-not-great player.

Now Samuel Dalembert says there is a lack of fire. Does that mean someone is about to get fired?

We thought... Terry Porter would have his hands full trying to slow down the Suns enough to make Shaquille O'Neal effective.

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But we didn’t know... That he would take it to such a degree that Steve Nash would complain that the team seemingly no longer has the ability to play at speed.

It is a tenuous approach by Porter, who, on one hand, has made Shaq the focus, and, on the other hand, also is giving his center the occasional night off.

Both Nash and Amare Stoudemire have questioned the slow-go approach. And team-bonding sessions haven't proven to be an answer.

Seemingly, the Suns are setting.

We thought... Oklahoma City would not be very good.

But we didn’t know... That the ownership team that had this move in mind for years would carry it off so ineptly.

Wouldn't the shift of cities have been the perfect time for a coaching shift? Instead, P.J. Carlesimo is brought along to kiss babies (sorry about the mustache scratches, kids) and shake hands, only to be discharged less than a month in.

So instead of arriving with a marquee, or at least charismatic, coach, a shift is made on the fly to Scott Brooks.

Would have adding a known-quantity free agent been too much to ask, especially when the lottery pick is the underwhelming (from a marketability standpoint) Russell Westbrook?

We thought... Dwight Howard would continue his world domination.

But we didn’t know... That Howard would emerge as nothing short of the ultimate destructive force.

If he's not ripping rebounds out of your hands, he swatting shots back in your face.

It almost as if he has emerged as the protagonist in one of those badly-dubbed Japanese horror flicks from days gone by. ("The ray gun! We must get the ray gun! Shoot! Shoot!")

But come on, Dwight, enough with the prosthetic muscles.

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