CLIPPER UPDATE : Dehere: He’s Got No Rhythm When He’s Got No Minutes

Clipper guard Terry Dehere, who shot 37.7% as a rookie last season, thinks he’ll shoot better this season because he’ll get more playing time after the departure of free agent guard Ron Harper, who signed with the Chicago Bulls last month.

Dehere said he never developed a shooting rhythm because he averaged only 11.9 minutes a game last season.

“Shooters have to be able to play,” Dehere said. “If a shooter doesn’t have the minutes, he can’t shoot, I don’t care what type of shooter you are.”

Dehere missed eight of 10 shots in a 105-82 exhibition loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday. On Saturday, in a 106-84 exhibition victory over the Atlanta Hawks, he made eight of 12 shots, including two three-pointers.

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Clipper rookie swingman Eric Piatkowski, whose father, Walt, played for Clipper Coach Bill Fitch at Bowling Green and went on to play four seasons in the now defunct ABA, got some advice from his father about Fitch.

“He told me how tough the practices can be with Coach Fitch and how he can be sometimes during the season,” Piatkowski said. “I don’t exactly want you guys to print what he said.”

Fitch, who coached former Boston Celtic star Larry Bird for four years, compared Piatkowski to Bird after scouting Piatkowski at a pre-draft camp in Phoenix last spring.

“That was a great compliment that he gave me,” Piatkowski said. “That came toward the end of the Phoenix camp and he thought he was never going to see me again. Now, I’m sure he’ll have a few other words that he’ll say about me during the season. If he feels that way, that’s just a great compliment. Hopefully, I can live up to some of his expectations.”

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Carl Horne, the Clippers’ strength and conditioning coach for the last three years, resigned to become the personal trainer for former Clipper forward Danny Manning, who signed with the Phoenix Suns. . . . Former Clipper Coach Bob Weiss, who was fired in May with two years left on his contract, has been hired as the Dallas Mavericks’ TV color commentator. . . . Guard Gary Grant, who underwent knee surgery two weeks ago, developed an infection requiring antibiotics. It is not expected to delay his return.