Maybe coaching the Lakers isn't that difficult a job.  That would explain why in the midst of a 3-8 start, LA coach Phil Jackson had time to offer advice on how the Bulls should be running their team.

According to Jackson, who spoke at length with Chicago columnist Sam Smith, the Bulls rebuilding efforts are questionable because they have too many young players.  He compared the Chicago squad to the long woeful Clippers and suggested that the problem with collecting high draft picks is that they become stars that are too expensive to keep, and end up spending their best years elsewhere.

Read the Smith article here (free registration): http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/printedition/chi-0211200409nov20.story?null

Some of what Jackson says is dead on.  Championships are won by men, not youngsters.  Good teams don't need an abundance of stars, but instead need two or three elite players, then a number of role players who do the dirty work.

But his assessment of the Clippers is wrong.  The Clippers example does not demonstrate that a team of youngsters cannot grow into a winner if kept together.  Contrary to Jackson's assertions, the Clippers problem has not been too many youngsters, but rather their astounding ability to pick the wrong youngsters year after year.

Since 1980, the Clippers have managed to pick the right player just four times.  By that, I mean that the player they chose came close to meeting expectations, and that significantly better players were not subsequently drafted by other teams.

They heyday of Clipper drafting was from 1981-83.  The '81 draft landed them Tom Chambers, they got Terry Cummings in 1982, and Byron Scott in '83.  But the team has persistently awful luck.  They traded Scott for Lakers point guard Norm Nixon, who promptly blew out his knee and was never again the same player.

In '84, they took Lancaster Gordon eighth when they could've had Otis Thorpe (9) or Kevin Willis (11). The following year was particularly bad. They took Benoit Benjamin third overall, passing on Xavier McDaniel, Chris Mullin, Detlef Schrempf, Charles Oakley, Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, AC Green and Terry Porter.

They were spared misery in '86 because they'd traded the pick, but had another awful draft in '87.  They took Reggie Williams fourth, passing on Scottie Pippen, Kenny Smith, Kevin Johnson, Horace Grant, Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson.  And that wasn't even their worst ever draft-day performance.

GM Elgin Baylor's worst draft performance was arguably 1995.  He sent the second overall pick, which was Antonio McDyess, to Denver for Rodney Rogers and the rights to Brent Barry.  That's it.  By doing the trade, the Clippers not only gave up McDyess, but passed on the opportunity to draft Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace or Kevin Garnett.

It wasn't much better in 1996 ? they picked Lorenzen Wright seventh overall.  Kobe Bryant (13), Predrag Stojakovic (14), Steve Nash (15) and Jermaine O'Neal (17) would have been better picks.

It's easier to see the right moves in hindsight, but GMs get paid to have foresight.  No general manager has a perfect record, but it's interesting to see that Jerry West picked more good players than Baylor despite having picks at the end of the first round.

While Baylor was choosing Benjamin third, West found AC Green 23rd.  Baylor selected Danny Ferry second in 1989, while West picked Vlade Divac (who he later swapped for Kobe Bryant) 26th.  In 1990, Baylor took Bo Kimble eighth and Loy Vaught 13th.  West found Elden Campbell 27th.  There can be no rebuilding unless the high draft choices are used with some semblance of skill and intelligence.

Yet Clippers owner Donald Sterling continues to be reviled for his cheapskate ways.  But if he has a fault, it's not failing to pay quality players, it's sticking with a general manager who so persistently picks the wrong players.

Here's the complete list of Clipper first round picks since 1980: Michael Brooks, Tom Chambers, Terry Cummings, Byron Scott, Lancaster Gordon, Michael Cage, Benoit Benjamin, Reggie Williams, Danny Manning, Charles Smith, Danny Ferry, Bo Kimble, Loy Vaught, LeRon Ellis, Randy Woods, Terry Dehere, Lamond Murray, Lorenzen Wright, Maurice Taylor, Michael Olowokandi, Quentin Richardson, Lamar Odom, Darius Miles, Chris Wilcox and Melvin Ely.

That group includes a few players who had good careers and some nice role players.  It also includes some Parton-sized busts.  But where is the star around which to build a franchise?  Where is the guy for whom Sterling should have opened his wallet?

Maybe things will be different for the Clippers this offseason.  Baylor has stockpiled some quality young players.  Elton Brand, Andre Miller and Olowokandi look like the solid foundation for a good team.  Perhaps Sterling will put the cheapskate talk to rest and pay his stars.  Given the team's history, the chances are good they'll find a way to mess it up.

But what does all this mean for the Bulls and their rebuilding efforts?  The same thing Jackson has to do with the franchise nowadays ? nothing.

The Clippers don't prove that too many young players can't grow into winners.  Instead, they prove that high draft position can't compensate for inept talent evaluation, idiotic trades, and bad luck.

Perhaps Jackson can now focus his attention where it belongs ? his staggering Lakers team ? and stop taking not-so-subtle jabs at his former employer.