Brand making some progress

All-Star forward Elton Brand on Tuesday had the walking boot on his left foot removed during an examination of his surgically repaired Achilles’ tendon.

Brand, the Clippers’ leading scorer last season at 20.5 points per game, ruptured the tendon Aug. 3 during an off-season workout.

He had surgery four days later. No timetable is set for his return. Finding a way to fill Brand’s productivity will be a top priority as the Clippers open their regular season against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 2.

Brand had worn the walking boot since Sept. 18. In the meantime, he donned a boot that is typically used by hikers and mountain climbers on his right foot to avoid adding weight to his injured Achilles.

He is now cleared to perform advanced cardiovascular work, such as running treadmills and pool therapy, and will continue working on his upper-body conditioning.

“He looks good,” said Dr. Craig Morgan, who performed Brand’s surgery. “He’s out of his boot and he’s going to start on lower-leg strengthening. It’s all about flexibility.”

Brand is scheduled for a follow up with Morgan in six weeks when they will decide when Brand can start performing basketball-related activities. “It’ll be baby steps,” Morgan said.

Morgan said that the average time it takes a player to heal from a ruptured Achilles and return to the court is about six months, although it varies from player to player.

Clippers point guard Dan Dickau ruptured his Achilles early in the 2005-06 season as a member of the Boston Celtics. He said it took him about 10 months to completely heal.

“The one thing is you don’t want to push it too fast, but there’s no reason you can’t come back 100% from it,” he said.

The Clippers, 3-3 in the exhibition season, play host to the Sacramento Kings tonight at 7:30. . . . Guard Quinton Ross leads the team in steals with 10 and is seventh in the NBA with a 10-to-7 steals-per-turnover ratio and center Paul Davis is 15 for 15 from the free-throw line during the exhibition season.

Forward Tim Thomas rejoined the team after being away three days because of personal reasons. . . . Forward Aaron Williams (strained left calf) sat out practice. . . . Fans planning to attend tonight’s game should arrive early because of increased traffic expected from a concert at the Nokia Theatre across the street from Staples Center.

jonathan.abrams@latimes.com