Opening Night Gets a Negative Review

Coach Alvin Gentry offered a blunt evaluation of the Clippers’ 96-85 exhibition loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.

“Not very good,” he said Thursday when asked how his team had looked Wednesday at Seattle.

The Clippers made 29 of 83 shots (34.9%), 24 of 34 free throws (70.6%) and were outrebounded, 52-39. Other than that, they were just fine in the first of seven exhibitions.

“No, I’m not alarmed about it,” Gentry said of the loss. “We have 18 days before we play San Antonio in the opener.”

Between today and Oct. 30, Gentry figures the Clippers will improve dramatically, particularly around the basket. All too often Wednesday, the SuperSonics outhustled them to rebounds and the Clippers paid the price.

“I thought we stood and watched, which really hurt us,” Gentry said. “Rebounding is a big key for this team. All [the coaching staff] can do is keep harping on it.

“There’s no secret to rebounding. You’ve just got to go get the ball. It was really our Achilles’ heel last season. It probably cost us between five and eight games. We ended up ninth in the league in rebounding, but we’ve got to be better.”

Gentry then cautioned against expecting too much too soon from the youthful Clippers, whose first step toward respectability must also include more consistent play.

“I think we’ve all got to understand that this is a very, very young team,” he said. “There are going to be some nights where you’ll say, ‘I told you they’re a very good team.’ Some other nights, you’ll say, ‘Thank God they’re not playing Mater Dei.”

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Gentry indicated that it wouldn’t be long before the team begins to trim the roster. There are 17 players in training camp and 12 have guaranteed contracts.

Former Arizona and Mater Dei standout Miles Simon, one of the five free agents signed last month, has been impressive, although it’s a bit difficult to figure how he might fit into the team’s plans.

“We’re going to talk [today or Saturday] and we’ll see,” Gentry said of speaking with General Manager Elgin Baylor about possible moves.