Clippers Hoping This Season Will Be One for the Books

A new chapter in Clipper history begins here tonight with the start of the 1988-89 National Basketball Assn. season, although no one knows the title.

“A Season on the Blink”?

The Clippers have won a total of 29 games in the last 2 seasons and finished with the league’s worst record each time. They also were last in 1987-88 in offense, shooting percentage and point differential.

“The Powers That May Be”?

The 12-man opening-day roster, not counting holdout Danny Manning, consists of 4 rookies and 4 second-year players. The average age is 24.7, and the projected starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers has a combined 14 years of pro experience, 9 of which belong to guard Norm Nixon. After that, center Benoit Benjamin has 3, guard Reggie Williams has 1, forward Ken Norman has 1 and forward Charles Smith is a rookie.

“Ben, Huh”?

Benjamin has been one of the hot topics of training camp, with the most impressive extended performance of his career. But he must fill the void in rebounding created when Michael Cage, the best in the league last season, was traded to Seattle. If not, the Clippers will have trouble starting their hoped-for fast-break offense.

Despite the question marks in experience, offense and defense, the team believes this could be a best seller.

The last time the Clippers--92-236 in 4 seasons in Los Angeles--were this excited about new beginnings was this time last year, when they opened with three first-round draft choices: Williams, Norman and Joe Wolf. From there, the team went 17-65, lost 53 of its last 62 games and missed the playoffs for the 12th consecutive year.

The Clippers made a move to improve their front court Thursday, claiming free agent Dave Popson from Detroit and cutting rookie Scott Wilke.

Popson, a teammate of Wolf at North Carolina, played for the Pistons during training camp before being released. Wilke, a free agent from the University of Colorado, had appeared in 5 of 7 exhibition games for the Clippers.

OK, so the Clippers are enthusiastic. But, really, why might this season be different?

--Nixon, the team leader, has made it to the regular season after sitting out all of the last 2 with injuries.

--Benjamin’s early play.

--The improvement of Norman and the way rookies Smith and Gary Grant have shown they can contribute immediately. And Manning, who has has yet to step on the court with his would-be teammates, is at least studying a playbook while working out and playing pickup games in Cincinnati.

Grant will begin as Nixon’s backup, but his immediate impact has been as subtle as a neon sign in church. His behind-the-back and no-look passes, tenacious defense, flashy dribbling and attitude to match have struck a spark. His teammates say so, and so does he.

“I like it, being a funny guy,” he said. “I could be a comedian if I wanted to be a comedian, but I want to be a basketball player. I want to be part of this team’s turnaround.”

So he does his part, running the fast break and breaking the tension whenever needed. He’ll even pick on the veterans for a laugh.

“I’ve got to,” he said.

Why?

“I’m running the show,” he replied, smiling.

To veterans such as guard Quintin Dailey, the kids are all right.

“The major change is the youth,” said Dailey, the No. 1 returning scorer from 1987-88 at 13.4 points a game after the departures of Mike Woodson and Cage.

“We have seven guys who basically are just out of college, out of winning programs. And we’ve got (Greg) Kite from Boston, where he was a winner, I came from Chicago and was a winner, Norm came from the Lakers and was a winner.

“Boston walks into an arena, the Lakers walk into an arena and they know they are going to win, no matter what takes place. Last year, we walked in and would be thinking ‘win,’ but then there would be a minor setback and our backs would be broken right then and there. I don’t think that will happen this year because of the new spirit.”

Coach Gene Shue says the attitude fits. He wants the Clippers to be young in spirit and rely on a trapping defense and up-tempo offense. Yes, he wants the Clippers to look more like . . . A college team? This is a youth movement.

“I’ve kept things very simple,” Shue said. “I want to have a lot of freedom within the system, and I want the players to be able to make mistakes without worrying about being taken out of the game, although they will be told about their mistakes. I’m going to give them the space to grow.

“I can’t predict how many wins we’re going to have. But I can predict that we are going to be very aggressive and very exciting and are going to be a team the fans can enjoy.”

A rundown by position:

CENTER

Benjamin has been, for the most part, attentive and hustling and is developing into a team leader. In other words, everything he should have been doing his first 3 years in the NBA. He also is in the last year of his contract.

“I’m encouraged by the way Ben has been playing during camp,” Shue said. “He’s definitely trying harder, working harder and seems really to want to have a good year. But I say that with a degree of caution, because now comes the season, and that’s when he has to do it. We need Ben to carry over and improve on what he has accomplished.”

Kite is Benjamin’s backup.

FORWARDS

The strongest area of the team, even without Manning, because of the emergence of Norman, the good start by Smith and the depth with Wolf.

Popson was brought in for some inside scoring punch. Grant Gondrezick, more suited to being a shooting guard, will fill in at small forward.

GUARDS

Shue said all along he wanted five guards, so it’s no surprise he is not comfortable having six. He would rather have the extra help up front.

Williams won the starting job at shooting guard as much on potential as production. Dailey, Gondrezick and rookie Tom Garrick are the backups.

Nixon, who beat Grant and the odds against his comeback from two operations to get the starting job at the point, remains invaluable to the Clippers because of leadership. He’s no liability on the court, either, with his trademark fall-away jumper back in fashion.

“I feel pretty good physically,” he said. “What I’m working on is trying to remember how to play basketball.”

According to one expert, Nixon hasn’t forgotten much in the 2 seasons he missed.

“I think he looks really good,” Detroit guard Isiah Thomas said Tuesday after the Clippers’ final exhibition game. “He’s still smart enough to run a basketball team. The quickness isn’t quite there and his timing is a little off, but that will come in time.”

Time? The Clippers know all about time and patience.