Big Greek Might Be Their No. 1 Option

Their season-long party is going strong, but the Clippers still have work to do.

Neil Olshey, director of player personnel, and his staff are preparing for the draft, evaluating potential free agents and players General Manager Elgin Baylor and Coach Mike Dunleavy might pursue in off-season trades.

Although the Clippers don’t have a first-round selection in the draft, they might receive help from former second-round pick Sofoklis Schortsanitis of Greece.

The Clippers selected Schortsanitis after choosing Chris Kaman with their No. 1 pick (sixth overall) in the 2003 draft.

Baylor last week said the Clippers, who have two second-round picks, would consider bringing Schortsanitis, 21, to the NBA next season.

The process is underway.

“We’re setting up workouts that Coach and Elgin will be able to see once our season is over,” Olshey said. “Hopefully, that’s way down the road, but we hope to bring him over and get a feel for him that way, or Coach could make a trip over and see him in a game setting. Elgin has already seen a ton of tape on the kid.”

Schortsanitis, who plays power forward and center, is listed at 6 feet 9 and 315 pounds. A classic back-to-the-basket player, Schortsanitis has displayed good footwork and compares favorably to forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who led Louisiana State to the Final Four, said Fabrizio Besnati, the Clippers’ European scout.

In 19 minutes a game for his Euroleague team, Schortsanitis has averaged 12 points and 4.9 rebounds while making 61.8% of his field-goal attempts. He has struggled from the free-throw line, shooting 63.2%.

“He’s going to be playing, most likely through the second week of June, so there’s going to be a chance for Mike to see him,” Besnati said. “His team is going to go to the finals, for sure, and it’s a best-of-five series. I suppose they’ll get to Game 4 or 5, so we’ll have time.”

Schortsanitis has a buyout in his contract, but that wouldn’t be a factor in having him on the roster next season, Olshey said.

“What we have to figure out is whether this is the right time to bring him over, based on the big guys we have coming back,” he said. “Are there minutes there for him? Is he better served staying one more year? Those are the questions.”

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Sam Cassell isn’t deferential whenever he sees the two-time league most valuable player.

“Rook,” Cassell yelled twice when he saw Suns guard Steve Nash in the hallway before Game 3.

Nash was a rookie and Cassell a four-year veteran when they played together in Phoenix for part of the 1996-97 season.

“Ten years later, he’s still calling me a rookie,” Nash said later.

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Suns Coach Mike D’Antoni now has experience with Laker and Clipper playoff crowds.

“I think they’re both good,” he said diplomatically. “Might be a little bit more pop [at Lakers games], but I think that’s from the players, just from Jack Nicholson being nearby, people like that. It’s true there’s a Laker mystique.”

Times staff writer Mike Bresnahan contributed to this report.