Clippers Are Rounding Into Shape

An NBA scout thinks centers Kevin Duckworth and Stanley Roberts are the keys to the Clippers.

“You know if those two big guys ever get in shape, nobody’s going to want to play the Clippers,” the scout said.

Duckworth still has a ways to go before he gets into shape, but Roberts is already making a big contribution.

Roberts had 17 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes as a reserve as the Clippers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 102-94, to end a two-game losing streak Sunday night before an announced 7,311 at the Sports Arena.

“I’ll say it again, but I’m going to use a different finger,” Fitch said, taking the pinky finger of a reporter. “He’s got more talent in his little finger than most people have in their whole bodies. If he ever gets in shape to where he can use the rest of it, I don’t want to be his coach, I want to be his agent.

“I’m going to be the jockey and ride him. I like him a lot better than I did in October and I’m looking forward to liking him a lot more and seeing a lot less of him in the months to come.”

Roberts, who made eight of 14 shots and had three blocks, has averaged 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in the Clippers’ first nine games.

“I think Stanley likes to play basketball a little bit more than he did,” Fitch said. “That’s the key, if he gets that feeling of how much fun you can have to do something that you’re really good at, that’s even more incentive for him.”

Roberts, who was suspended for insubordination during training camp last month after shouting profanities at Fitch after a practice, has become Fitch’s whipping boy.

“I want him to stay on me,” Roberts said. “If he lets up, I might let up. He compliments me when I do well.”

How close is Roberts, who reported to training camp overweight and out of shape, to getting in shape?

“If I had to run a whole game, I could probably make it through the third quarter, but it’s a long season,” Roberts said. “Give me a few more weeks and I’ll be all right.”

Roberts who has sat out 151 games over the last three seasons because of Achilles’ tendon and heel injuries, has been injury-free this season.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” Roberts said. “Once you get past the little nagging aches and pains that you get getting in shape, the game starts to be fun and you start enjoying it more.”

Forward Rodney Rogers made seven of nine shots and had 20 points and five rebounds despite not playing in the fourth quarter.

“He came to me at the end of the third quarter and said he had to go to the bathroom, and I never looked to see if he came back,” Fitch said. “Lamond [Murray] was going well and we left Bo [Outlaw] out to play the defense and I didn’t want to take Loy [Vaught] out, so Rodney played one of his better ballgames and didn’t play in the fourth quarter.”

Guard Pooh Richardson, who had seven points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, made a 16-foot jump shot with 28 seconds left in the third quarter as the Clippers took an 80-79 lead.

The Clippers, who went into the game ranked sixth in the NBA in points allowed (86.6), limited the Bucks to two points in the final 4:47.

“The last four minutes of defense was the difference for us,” Fitch said. “You get to a point when you shut somebody out for the last four minutes of the game, you should win.”

Reserve swingman Eric Piatkowski, who had 10 points in 11 minutes, thinks defense has helped the Clippers get off to a good start.

“We haven’t been shooting all that great, but we’ve won a couple games with our defense,” Piatkowski said. “I think that’s a sign we’re coming around because good teams win with defense when they’re not shooting well.”

The Clippers limited forward Glenn Robinson, who had 31 points, eight shy of his career high, to seven points in the final quarter.

“We couldn’t make a shot at the end of the game,” Robinson said. “And when we did make a shot, we didn’t stop them.”