Varied Challenges for Rookie

Michael Olowokandi’s NBA career is only six games old, but the center has already faced a variety of big men. From Phoenix’s Danny Manning, who’s really a forward, to Vancouver’s Bryant Reeves, an oversized center, Olowokandi has had to get used to playing differently each game.

“It’s been hard because you have to learn a lot,” said Olowokandi, who had 15 rebounds and 10 points in the Clippers’ double-overtime loss to the Grizzlies on Tuesday. “I’m playing all kinds of new defenses. We’re doing things [in games] that we haven’t gone over in practice or in films, and that’s kind of tough. You’re learning more and then when I look back at game tapes, I see where if I had done this or done that, things would have been different.”

Olowokandi occasionally takes bad shots, makes poor decisions with his passes and fails to rotate quickly enough on defense, but he brings a physical presence inside and he’s not afraid to battle for a rebound or dive for the ball.

“He’s going to be a good player,” Vancouver Coach Brian Hill said. “And the Clippers are going to be an improving team as they move through the year.”

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Maurice Taylor’s 16 defensive rebounds against Vancouver tied an NBA season high. Point guard Sherman Douglas injured his right groin in the first half against the Grizzlies and is listed as day to day. The Clippers did not practice Wednesday, but Coach Chris Ford and his staff spent the day going over game film.