Miles Takes Up Webber Challenge

Rookie Darius Miles has done a better than expected job defending the league’s top power forwards this season but his lack of size is always a concern for the Clippers, especially when they face powerful players such as Sacramento’s Chris Webber.

Webber, who did not play in two of the three previous meetings against the Clippers, was in the Kings’ lineup Tuesday night. In the one game Miles had faced Webber, he had 16 points and four rebounds compared to Webber’s 33 and 11.

Webber finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday. Miles had 14 points and nine rebounds.

“There are going to be certain times when [Miles] may not be able to play a lot of minutes because he’s facing [a bigger power forward],” Coach Alvin Gentry said. “But Darius is the future of our team. He’s going to play.”

Veteran Cherokee Parks made his 27th start at power forward Tuesday and in a rarity, played the entire first quarter. Miles did not get in until the second quarter.

“Webber plays really in the gray area,” Gentry said. “He doesn’t really play in the low post nor does he play out in the floor. But they run a lot of isolation plays for him. You can either do one of two things. Guard him straight up or double-team him. But they have a lot of great shooters, so you have to make a decision.”

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With Parks being the only unrestricted free agent the Clippers will have to make a decision on during the off-season, there’s a good chance that next season’s roster will look almost identical to this season’s.

That’s one reason the Clippers are trying to finish the final week of the regular season strong because they are hoping the winning carries over to next season.

“If we can carry over the energy with the same team for next year, I don’t see how we can’t get any better,” backup center Sean Rooks said.