Miller Adjusting, but Doing His Part

As time passes, the Clippers look less and less like a bunch of guys meeting for a friendly pickup game on their lunch hour. Much of it has to do with the man who would rather pass than shoot the basketball.

Injuries played a significant role in the team’s disjointed play in some recent games. After all, Elton Brand, Michael Olowokandi and Quentin Richardson sat out almost all of training camp because of injuries.

Richardson is still smarting from a bruised right knee and will not play tonight against the Miami Heat.

Point guard Andre Miller has been the glue that has kept the team together during the early games. He has shown why General Manager Elgin Baylor and Coach Alvin Gentry were so eager to acquire him during the off-season from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Miller, the NBA’s leader in assists with an average of 10.9 last season, leads the Clippers in scoring (18.2 points) and assists (9.3).

Even better games will be ahead for Miller, Gentry predicted after Miller scored a season-best 29 points and added seven assists and five rebounds in 41 minutes in the Clippers’ victory Sunday over the Orlando Magic.

“He’s still figuring out our players,” Gentry said of Miller, who played during training camp with free agents who were filling in for injured starters and are no longer on the roster. “He’s still learning where Michael wants the ball in the low post and where Elton wants the ball.”

Said Miller: “We’ve got some great young talent here. We have a chance to be very good. My job is to get guys in a position where they can succeed. It’s really pretty simple. But it’s not all on me.”

No, but it certainly hasn’t hurt the Clippers to have a player with Miller’s talents running the show.

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TONIGHT

at Miami, 4:30 PST

Site -- American Airlines Arena.

Radio -- KXTA (1150).

Records -- Clippers 2-4, Heat 1-4.

Record vs. Heat (2001-02) -- 2-0.

Update -- Miami is trying to avoid a repeat of last season when it started 5-23 and failed to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. . Heat point guard Travis Best probably won’t play because of a sprained right ankle.