Mo Williams accepts new role as Clippers backup guard

Once Mo Williams took his pride out of it, he was able to come to grips with his plight as a reserve point guard for the Clippers.

Williams hadn’t spoken with the media since the Clippers acquired Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets last Wednesday and got Chauncey Billups during a waiver auction bid after New York used the “amnesty” provision on the veteran guard.

Williams said before the Clippers played the Lakers at Staples Center on Monday night that he needed time to collect his thoughts.

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“Obviously, man, your pride is hit,” Williams said. “Then once you get outside of the pride part of it, you start looking at the basketball aspect of it.

“And everybody in the world knows I want to win. Everybody in the world knows that it’s a good move for the city of Los Angeles. It’s a good move for the Clippers organization. Outside of that, outside of my pride, that was just me getting over it.”

Williams, who arrived last season when the Clippers got him from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade for Baron Davis, had set up many of the workouts for his teammates during the lockout.

He was considered one of the leaders on the team.

After talking to his friends and his wife, Kesha, Williams said he’s more than fine with the situation.

“You just got to be a pro, first of all,” Williams said. “Some guys never recover from this. I talked with my closest friends and even my wife. You’ve got to be strong and you’ve got to be confident in yourself to get over this and I know I’m confident. I know I’m going to earn minutes, so I’m not really too concerned.”

Butler getting in shape

Caron Butler is not quite in the kind of condition that he’s “most comfortable with,” Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said.

Butler played in just 29 games last season with the Dallas Mavericks because of a ruptured right patellar tendon last Jan. 1.

Butler, who signed with the Clippers as a free agent, has been putting in extra work to get in shape.

“He’s probably got to lose another five, six, seven pounds, if you ask him,” Del Negro said. “We’ve talked about it. He’s a pro and he’s been getting his work in, so it’s just a matter of time for him.”

Jordan is clear starter

This season, DeAndre Jordan won’t be looking over his shoulder.

He’s the starting center for the Clippers now and there won’t be any sharing of time because the team traded Chris Kaman to the Hornets as part of the Paul trade.

“I just think he needs to continually gain any experience he can,” Del Negro said. “He’s going to be a better player this year than he was last year.”