Clippers’ Benjamin Was Out of His League, but He’s Learned His Lesson

When they weren’t exchanging elbows and dunks in Monday night’s game at the Sports Arena, Clipper rookie center Benoit Benjamin and New Jersey’s irrepressible Darryl Dawkins carried on a lively exchange of what seemed to be friendly dialogue.

What could they have been talking about? The weather on Lovetron, Dawkins’ mythical planet?

“Nah,” Benjamin said later. “He was giving me some pointers on my game and stuff, like posting strong. He’s a good guy.”

Everyone from opposing centers to former centers to Coach Don Chaney and half the Clipper roster has taken a stab at advising the 7-foot Benjamin in hopes of turning around a promising rookie season that began abysmally and showed little sign of improvement until just recently.

Then, about three weeks ago, Benjamin had a long talk with himself and realized that major changes in attitude and effort were needed if he was ever to become a quality center in the National Basketball Assn.

“All the people in the world can talk to you, but it’s up to you to go out and play,” said Benjamin, the third overall selection behind Patrick Ewing and Wayman Tisdale in last June’s NBA draft. “I listened to what everyone said, but I got confused. So, I decided to get some self-motivation.”

Chaney had tried every approach they teach in Psych 101 to try to motivate Benjamin. Former New York Knick star Willis Reed, Benjamin’s college coach at Creighton, was solicited to help. So was Bill Russell, who was supposed to tutor Benjamin this month but canceled because of other commitments.

But it seemed that Benjamin had to hit bottom before realizing just how disappointing he had been to the Clippers, who are paying him $3.2 million over four years.

That low point occurred in the early stages of the Clippers’ seven-game, 12-day Eastern trip earlier this month. Benjamin missed the team flight to Cleveland, the first stop on the trip. It was the second time he had missed a flight. A few days later in Atlanta, Benjamin went on a shopping spree that included the purchase of $1,700 in shoes. But he fell asleep in his room that afternoon and missed the bus to the arena. Once there, his play again was about as lively as a wooden post’s.

Somewhere between Atlanta and Philadelphia, though, Benjamin underwent a drastic change, both in personality and performance.

In the Clippers’ last nine games, he has averaged 11 points, 7.4 rebounds and almost 3 blocked shots, silencing the skeptics who had tabbed Benjamin as the draft’s biggest first-round flop.

Not coincidentally, the Clippers (18-29) have won six of their last nine games going into tonight’s engagement with Phoenix at the Sports Arena.

Benjamin was one of only five Clippers who practiced Tuesday. Three starters--Marques Johnson, Cedric Maxwell and Kurt Nimphius--sat out with assorted minor injuries.

All, however, are expected to play tonight against the Suns.

“We need Ben,” Chaney said, bluntly. “We can’t win without him.”

Those who recall Benjamin’s ineffective play the first 2 1/2 months of the season were shocked when he stood up and delivered an elbow to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s back in his 18-point performance last week against the Lakers.

“He popped Kareem good,” Chaney said. “I remember the first time he played Kareem, Ben wouldn’t even touch him. He was actually afraid to walk on the floor and go against anybody. He had never faced players this good in his life.

“It’s really amazing. All of a sudden, he is listening to what we’re teaching him. He had a mental block about a lot of things, and no matter how many times we asked him, he wouldn’t do it.”

So, what caused the awakening of Big Ben?

“It was an accumulation of things,” Chaney said. “Talks with people he respects. Watching film of himself. Personal attention by the coaches and players. And searching within himself.”

Benjamin said that watching his poor play over and over on tape had embarrassed him, but nonetheless drove home the point that he simply wasn’t producing.

“I thought I was doing all right,” Benjamin said. “But I watched myself on those films and I wasn’t doing anything.”

Clipper players didn’t need to review videotapes to confirm that Benjamin wasn’t making the effort. They were irked by his lax practice habits and propensity for tardiness, and also figured that he was too timid for the NBA.

Instead of confronting Benjamin, the mostly veteran team simply ignored him.

Now, they treat Benjamin as a kid brother, good-naturedly kidding him and saddling him with funny nicknames. Benjamin loves the attention.

“They thought I was lazy,” he said. “But I think they like me now. As Duck (Chaney) said, just play hard and you’ll earn their respect.”

Said Chaney: “He was not well liked and pretty much an outsider because of the way he was. He never pushed himself. Not in practice or games. He was a baby. I guess now he’s a little above adolescence.”

Which still leaves plenty of room for more growth.