Former Trojan Is a Confident Longshot

Former USC guard Brandon Martin, who wasn’t drafted after averaging 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds for the Trojans last season, hopes to make the Clippers.

“I was disappointed because it was one of my goals to get drafted after four years at SC, but that didn’t happen,” Martin said.

Martin, playing point guard, is a longshot because the Clippers already have Pooh Richardson and Terry Dehere under contract.

*

Swingman Eric Piatkowski, who averaged only 4.6 points and was held out of 27 games by Coach Bill Fitch last season, bulked up over the summer, adding 10 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-7 frame. He weighed 215 pounds when he reported to camp.

“I knew what I needed to do,” Piatkowski said. “I did a lot of upper-body work and cardiovascular work. I got a lot stronger in the weight room. When I came to camp this year, I was in much better shape than I was last year.”

*

Ray Melchiorre, who spent the last nine seasons as the Houston Rockets’ trainer, has been reunited with Fitch. Fitch, who hired Melchiorre as the Boston Celtics’ trainer in 1979, hired him to replace Keith Jones, who quit at the end of last season.

*

The Clippers waived swingman Cedric Lewis to reduce their roster to 16, not including suspended center Stanley Roberts. . . . The Clippers broke camp at Santa Barbara after scrimmaging Wednesday night. They’ll fly to Detroit today for Friday’s exhibition opener against the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills.