They Try to Get the Point Across

The Clippers couldn’t say with any certainty Friday whether Marko Jaric would be their starting point guard next season. They wouldn’t say whether they have seen the last of Jeff McInnis, their starter the last two seasons. And they refused to say whether they are still seeking a trade for a standout such as Andre Miller of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here’s what is known:

Jaric is signed, sealed, delivered and looking forward to his first NBA training camp, which opens for the Clippers on Oct. 1 at Palm Desert. Meanwhile, Jaric has started workouts with the Yugoslav national team in Germany in preparation of the World Championships, which begin Aug. 29 in Indianapolis.

“Oh, it’s so hard to say,” Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry said when asked if Jaric would replace McInnis, a free agent. “I’ve watched a lot of tape of him. He’s the type of player we’re looking for. He pushes the ball up the court. He’s a better defender than people might think. We think he can contribute to our team.”

Asked the same question, General Manager Elgin Baylor said: “His size gives him an advantage. He’s got the ability to shoot over smaller point guards. He can help rebound. We like his toughness. He’s an aggressive player, a good shooter. I think he can be an even better shooter.

“He’s an unselfish player.”

Jaric, 23, also is a more worldly player than many of his new teammates. He was born in Belgrade. His father, Srecko, played for the Yugoslav national team in the 1960s. Jaric was selected in the second round (30th overall) in the 2000 draft, but has been playing in Italy. He recently was featured in the Italian edition of GQ magazine.

Last season, Jaric averaged 15.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33 games for Italian League champion Kinder Bologna.

A five-minute videotape supplied by the Clippers showcased Jaric’s ability to pass to open teammates while on the run and a willingness to pass before shooting. Jaric also appears to have a textbook jump shot.

“I’m not a point guard who is not a scorer,” Jaric said via a conference call with reporters Friday.

Of his relatively low assist totals throughout his career, Jaric said, “Assists [are credited] completely differently in Europe. In Europe nobody gets more than five assists [per game]. It’s like having 10 or 15 in the NBA. I’ll be very interested to see how assists are [credited] in the NBA because I think it’s going to be very different.”

McInnis averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 81 games last season, but clashed occasionally with his teammates and Gentry. He is an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team, including the Clippers.

The Clippers tried to trade for Miller, who averaged a league-leading 10.9 assists last season for the Cavaliers, but the deal collapsed June 26, the night of the NBA draft. An attempt to acquire Baron Davis from the New Orleans Hornets also was unsuccessful.

For the moment, the Clippers have only Jaric at the point.

Keyon Dooling, sidelined for 68 games last season because of a badly sprained left ankle, underwent an arthroscopic procedure Friday in Oakland. Dooling is expected to sit out for at least the next six weeks, but he should be fit in time for the opening of training camp.

“It solidifies us, gives us more size, more depth,” Baylor said of adding Jaric. “Marko doesn’t have NBA experience, but he has a lot of basketball experience. This does help us. It makes us stronger in that position, but I’m not saying what else we might do.”

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*--* 2001-2002 4.9 2.6 15.2 Marko Jaric Age: 23 Birthplace: Belgrade, Yugoslavia Position: Point guard Height, Weight: 6-7, 198 Drafted by: Clippers (second round in 2000, pick No. 30) Highlights: Played two seasons for Peristeri in Greece as a teenager. An NBA early-entry candidate in 1998 but withdrew before the draft and signed with Fortitudo Bologna in Italy. The Clippers drafted him in 2000, but he played two seasons for Italian League champion Kinder Bologna. A member of the Yugoslavian national team * STATISTICS Peristeri (Greece) Season REB AST PTS 1996-97 1.2 0.5 2.5 1997-98 2.5 1.2 5.7 Fortitudo Bologna (Italy) 1998-99 2.9 1.3 7.8 1999-00 2.8 1.3 9.9 Kinder Bologna (Italy) 2000-2001 3.9 2.6 12.7

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