Gentry Sees Possibilities With Odom

Considering the number of talented swingmen on the Clippers’ roster, Coach Alvin Gentry suggested Wednesday that he could get more of them on the floor at the same time by moving Lamar Odom to point guard.

With Odom running the offense, the Clippers would be able to use Darius Miles, Corey Maggette, Tyrone Nesby, Quentin Richardson and Eric Piatkowski in an assortment of combinations at shooting guard and small forward.

Although the Clippers do not expect to start the season with Odom at the point, Gentry said the team will definitely use him there with a big lineup during the season.

“Some of the stuff we wanted to experiment with is going to have to be done in the regular season because we’re not going to have an opportunity to do it [during the exhibition season],” Gentry said.

Odom is expected to play in the Clippers’ final exhibition against Seattle on Friday at Staples Center after missing four consecutive games because of a left quadriceps injury.

When asked whether he liked to play point guard more than small forward or shooting guard, Odom said it doesn’t matter to him.

“Wherever it’s best for me to play in order for us to win the most games,” answered Odom, who spent some time practicing at point guard Wednesday.

“But we do have a lot of people who play the same position, who can score. I don’t know what my role is going to be because I haven’t been out there on the floor with everyone yet.”

Odom does not buy into the theory that at 6 feet 10, he’s too big to play against smaller point guards in the league. Gentry had said earlier in training camp that he was concerned about how well Odom would do on defense.

“[A smaller point guard] might have a mismatch, but the flow of the NBA game is not for the point guard to shoot the ball all of the time,” Odom said.

“If I am on him, he’ll usually pass and move on to the other side. Then on the other end, I’m looking to post him up.”

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Don’t count on suspended backup center Keith Closs returning to the team before the start of the regular season.

Closs, suspended before training camp for conditioning reasons, has been under a detailed daily workout program and told Gentry last week that he has gained more than 10 pounds.

But even if Closs proves to be in good enough shape to return, Gentry is uncertain about his role.

“We’ll just have to keep checking on him . . . but I’ve never seen him play, so it is hard for me to say whether he’s not in the plan or in the plan,” Gentry said. “I haven’t had an opportunity to work with him. I’m just doing everything I can to do what is best for the team right now. . . . But [making a decision on Closs] is an issue that we are going to have to deal with.”

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The Clippers trimmed their roster to 15 following Wednesday night’s practice when they waived free agent point guard Ryan Lorthridge and power forward Etdrick Bohannon, who finished last season with the team. . . . Point guard Jeff McInnis, hampered by flu, was the only Clipper not to practice Wednesday.