After disappointing preseason, Clippers gear up for games that count

Clippers guard J.J. Redick said it will be easy for the team to forget about their ragged exhibition season.

All that matters, Redick said before practice Monday, is to focus on the regular-season opener Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center and not the Clippers’ 2-6 record during the exhibition season.

“We didn’t have a great preseason,” Redick said. “We lost several games and didn’t play well in a few games. Our team is in a good place, but we need to use these next few days to prepare and get ready for when it counts.”

The Clippers have two more days of practice to discover what has been missing in their play.

“When we were at our best last year and when we’re going to be at our best this year, it’s going to be because we execute,” Redick said.

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said he wanted to simplify things over the next few days so his players aren’t “thinking” and are just playing the game.

“We haven’t clicked on all cylinders,” Chris Paul said. “We haven’t had everybody play together in any of those preseason games. But at the same time, it’s no more rehearsals. Game 1 is Thursday against a very good Oklahoma City team.”

The Clippers remain a confident team. They were 57-25 last season and lost in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs to the Thunder in May.

“Just like last year, we’re as good as we want to be,” Paul said. “We’re in a very unique situation in that we’re one of the few teams that control our own destiny. Going into every game, we have a shot to win every game. I think a lot of teams feel that way. But whether it’s true or not, we have one of those teams.”

Rebounding woes

The Clippers were out-rebounded in all eight of their exhibition games, and Rivers has complained about their effort on the boards.

Last season, the Clippers were just a decent rebounding team, finishing tied for 13th in rebounding, averaging 43 per game.

And that was despite center DeAndre Jordan leading the league in rebounding, averaging 13.6 per game.

“When we play better defense, we’re a better rebounding team,” Rivers said. “When we give up dribble penetration, deep post ups … then we’re not.”

Getting more rebounds, he said, comes from “having a better focus about it. I think every single guy has to know our weakness, and then we have to try to cover up for it.”

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter:@BA_Turner