Olowokandi Sidelined Too

The Clippers had almost as many injured players as fit ones Sunday at the College of the Desert.

Center Michael Olowokandi was the latest to be sidelined, suffering from what was termed a sore left knee. If you’re scoring at home, that makes nine sick or injured and 10 healthy Clippers.

The Clippers play their first exhibition Tuesday against the Lakers at Bakersfield. Free agents Jason Crowe, James Head and Jason Lawson are expected to get plenty of playing time because Olowokandi, forwards Elton Brand and Lamar Odom and guards Keyon Dooling and Quentin Richardson are not available.

“We’ve had bad karma, I guess,” Coach Alvin Gentry said.

In Olowokandi’s case, it’s more likely that Gentry’s two-a-day workout schedule in the first week of training camp has taken its toll. Olowokandi was scheduled to have his knee examined Sunday night as a precautionary measure.

“He’ll have an MRI and an X-ray, and we’ll go from there,” Gentry said. “He’s got some soreness in it. It’s accumulated over the five days we’ve been out here. We want to get it looked at.”

Brand probably won’t be ready for the Oct. 30 opener against Cleveland after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Sept. 26.

Odom is expected to sit out at least two more months because of a sprained right ankle.

Richardson injured his knee while running Friday and is to be reevaluated by the team’s medical staff today.

The Clippers’ initial estimate was that he would be out at least two weeks.

Dooling is scheduled to have an MRI exam on his sprained right ankle, but probably will not be ready to play for another three weeks.

Mike Batiste has swelling on his left knee, Melvin Ely has a foot injury, and Chris Wilcox has a strained right quadriceps.

Cherokee Parks has recovered sufficiently from what’s now being called strep throat to give the Clippers 10 fit players, just enough to scrimmage.

“I have no plans,” Gentry said when asked about facing the Lakers in the exhibition opener. “To me, it’s still a preseason game. They don’t give out awards for preseason games. We’ll approach it from the standpoint of trying to learn something.”

Of the injured players, he added: “They’re frustrated. They see the potential of our team. One thing about this group of guys, I don’t think there’s anybody who wants to be sitting out. They all want to be playing right now.”