THE NBA: 1991-92 PREVIEW : A Team Tries to Grow Up : Clippers: Edwards, Rivers bring experience and success to a group that has learned the hard way.

Age before beauty.

So it goes for the Clippers, who decided a few months ago that they needed to get older to get better.

Summer deals brought James Edwards and Doc Rivers, who brought a combined 22 seasons, 140 games of playoff experience and two championship rings.

But why stop there? Mike Schuler, who aged more than a year since last November, thanks to the 31-51 record in his first losing season as a head coach since 1980-81 at Rice University, says he has discovered other additions.

“There is no question those two individuals are a great deal more experienced and bring much more of a veteran approach,” Schuler said of Rivers and Edwards. “However, I would be remiss to not mention Charles (Smith), Danny (Manning), Gary (Grant), Harp (Ron Harper) and the others.

“They’re a year older, and they have much more of a veteran mentality than a year ago. I’ve seen maturity I could not have seen here a year ago. And that occurred before Doc and James even stepped on the court.”

They all start coming of age tonight against the Sacramento Kings. Then the Clippers have two games each against Portland and Phoenix and one with the Lakers, Utah, San Antonio, Golden State and Chicago--all before Thanksgiving and all before Smith returns from knee surgery. Last season, the Clippers went 1-7 without Smith.

In their younger days--this time a year ago--the Clippers were supposedly on the verge of making the playoffs. They finished 18th in scoring defense, 26th in three-point shooting, 27th and last in free-throw percentage and were third-worst in turnovers. It all added up to a 10th consecutive season of 50 or more defeats.

To improve in the standings, they must improve on free throws and turnovers, countless points having been wasted in 1990-91 when they lost 10 games by three points or fewer. Schuler has set improvement in those areas as the top goals.

Not as urgent, but almost as important, are improving poor outside shooting and cutting losses to lesser teams. The Clippers were beaten by Orlando three times last season and by Miami and Sacramento twice each.

They need to be the new “Over-the-Hill Gang,” the Clipper mountain being respectability. To climb that, this group will need to age gracefully.

THE COACH

“Every time I turn around, it’s, ‘Do I feel I have to win?’ ” Schuler said. “No. I want to win, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure we do win.

“But people have been hinting, trying to be nice while asking and stepping lightly around the issue. Am I concerned about my job? Am I worried? Absolutely not.”

GUARDS

Talk about your makeovers.

Rivers and rookie Elliot Perry were elsewhere last year. Ron Harper, still relying on outside shots instead of penetration, didn’t come back from reconstructive knee surgery until late January and didn’t play without time constraints until after the All-Star break. Bo Kimble was here, but, shooting at 38%, just barely. Gary Grant, suffering through the worst season of his career, could not wait for summer.

Now look. Grant is winning praise for his attitude and condition and will start tonight, which couldn’t have been more far-fetched last spring. Harper has ditched his knee brace. Perry, a second-round pick, was a training camp surprise because he played so well.

But the Clippers didn’t trade for Rivers to have him be a reserve, so Grant won’t have much room for error before being replaced in the starting lineup. Kimble remains an uncertainty, but now it’s because of a foot injury that has been healing since July. Lanard Copeland, the former Philadelphia 76er who made the Clippers as a free agent, takes his spot.

FORWARDS

No one was more impressive in camp than Manning, who also finished 1990-91 on a high note. He got the starting job from Ken Norman in mid-February and did not let go.

Schuler considered putting Norman back in the opening lineup and moving Manning to power forward to replace Smith, but decided against it. The logic seems sound. Loy Vaught is much more a conventional big man than Manning, and the Clippers need Norman’s scoring in a reserve role.

LeRon Ellis, the first-round pick, may get regular opportunities earlier than expected because of Smith’s injury. Or he could become the 12th man, playing even behind Tony Brown, who also can play off guard and is not so prone to mistakes.

CENTERS

Olden Polynice is the starter, ready to defend Clipper pride. Though he finished sixth in the league in shooting, he makes his biggest impact with defensive intensity.

Edwards is his complement, the offensive specialist with a signature fall-away jump shot from the post. Few teams have such versatility at center.

Both could even be on the court at the same time, provided the right matchups are present.