Getting Kaman fired up turns into a master stroke

THE BATTLE of Los Angeles, now becoming an annual tradition to see who will finish sixth and seventh in the Western Conference, was about to begin.

But first the Clippers wanted everyone in the media to know they were going to have a big groundbreaking ceremony today.

The Clippers digging a hole for themselves, though, hardly qualifies as news.

That’s why they’re here, aren’t they? -- last season’s NBA wonders playing as hard as they can to hang onto a playoff berth, but yet still listed as a two-point favorite to beat the Lakers. What does that say about the Lakers?

The Clippers, meanwhile, have worked themselves into contention this late into the season because there just aren’t eight good teams in the Western Conference and because stubborn Coach Mike Dunleavy finally relented and started Corey Maggette.

The next order of business, of course, is to get more out of Chris Kaman, so before Wednesday night’s game in Staples Center, we sat down and discussed his miserable performance to date and a demand to start being more aggressive -- beginning with the Lakers.

The Lakers were going to be without an injured Kwame Brown, leaving Kaman matched against the walking comatose youngster, Andrew Bynum, and no reason why Kaman shouldn’t dominate against a lifeless body.

“I know my role on this team,” Kaman began, and no, he really doesn’t.

He maintains his job is be the good teammate, rolling with rejection when his teammates don’t feed him the ball inside and accepting his limited playing time because that’s the way the coach wants it sometimes.

The coach wanted to limit Maggette’s playing time, too, and look where that took the Clippers. The coach doesn’t always know what he’s doing.

Take the first quarter. Kaman dominated Bynum, as instructed, aggressively going to the basket to score six points, giving the Clippers a six-point lead, and then Dunleavy pulled him.

Kaman went to the bench shaking his head, and I would too if replaced by an erratic Tim Thomas, but it was a good sign, because Kaman finally took exception to something. A guy 7 feet tall and weighing 265 pounds shouldn’t be a pushover.

A year ago it appeared Kaman was on the brink of stardom, Dunleavy going so far as to tell the Clippers he wouldn’t extend his contract until they tied up Kaman for years to come.

“I tell him all the time to shoot more,” Dunleavy said. “Be more aggressive.”

Then Kaman injured a hamstring, struggled, struggled some more and added personal problems off the court, which involve his family and which he will not discuss.

“I have to keep that off the court, and I’m doing a better job now,” Kaman said, and so are the Clippers, winning six of their last seven games before meeting the Lakers. “We were having a terrible year as a team, playing like garbage and didn’t deserve any playoff thing, but about 15 games or so ago, we got it going.”

No reason to stop now, and no reason to keep Kaman parked on the bench. As Dunleavy said before the game, “I’ll take bets from all comers that Kaman will be a double-double guy in this league. I have total confidence in that.”

Then maybe it’s time to show it, or, as I told him before the game, maybe it’s time to play like the high-paid player he will become next year when his new $50-million-plus contract kicks in.

An aggressive Kaman responded by hitting his 10-point-per-game average by halftime, making it an even dozen to start the scoring in the second half, and then his teammates consistently went away from him -- although he remained matched against an overmatched Bynum.

For a change, though, it seemed to perturb Kaman, playing now with emotion and reminding his teammates it was there “every time” if they just gave him the chance to score. They didn’t pay much attention, then he struggled some out of frustration, finished the third quarter with a total of 14 points and took the bench with the Clippers winning.

He returned with 4:47 remaining, no longer the bit player, but instead right in the middle of it with the game on the line and scoring three key points down the stretch. Kaman finished with a double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds in an emotional 90-82 Clippers win, and maybe we should have talked earlier this season.

THE CLIPPERS versus the Lakers in the entertainment capital, and so the Clippers bring out Everett Harp to play the saxophone and kill the mood in the place with his rendition of the national anthem. I don’t understand why the home team doesn’t grab every advantage -- beginning with a big voice singing the national anthem. As a point of order, it would be interesting to know why a saxophonist playing the national anthem needed to wear a black baseball cap through the whole performance.

WHEN I tell you Steve Sax has been selected to throw out the first pitch at the Dodgers’ home opener Monday, what’s your first thought? Yeah, I’m surprised, too, the Dodgers aren’t offering a helmet giveaway -- especially for those sitting down the first base line.

THE SOUTHERN California media received the following advisory Wednesday: “Barbaro’s saddle in Newport Beach ... the colorful red and white leather saddle, autographed by jockey Edgar Prado, now is in Newport Beach at the office of Dwight N. Manley, National Manager of the Jockeys’ Guild. Arrangements can be made for interviews and photo opps either at the office or Mr. Manley can bring the saddle to newsrooms and TV studios.”

I’ve never interviewed a saddle before, but thanks to my experience with Mr. HGH, I think I know what to expect.