Wilcox Is Making Most of His Chance

For Chris Wilcox, it was quite a comedown.

Within months of helping Maryland win the national championship in April 2002, he was riding the bench as a Clipper rookie last season.

“I was looking at myself like, is it my game?” he said. “I’m on one of the worst teams in the NBA, and I’m not getting playing time.

“It really kind of hurt me, but then I got a gut check and realized, you’ve just got to keep working.”

Still third on the depth chart at power forward a few days before last month’s season opener, Wilcox got his chance when, less than a week apart, backup Melvin Ely suffered a shoulder injury and starter Elton Brand a broken foot.

Suddenly, Wilcox was a starter. He is averaging 12 points and six rebounds after scoring a career-high 19 points on eight-for-12 shooting and taking six rebounds in Tuesday night’s 115-103 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

“It was a great feeling,” Wilcox said. “Me not getting a lot of playing time last year, going out and getting my career high, getting my feet wet for real, it really helped my confidence level a lot.

“From here on out, hopefully I can keep improving.”

He already has made a quantum leap from the opening weeks of training camp, when Coach Mike Dunleavy described him as “extremely raw.”

“He’s made a big jump as far as his understanding of what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to do it,” Dunleavy said. “He’s made a big improvement in his low-post game; he’s able to score in the low-post area....

“He’s worked hard, doing individual stuff. He runs the floor really well, and he’s done a good job of sealing people off, so he’s growing nicely for us.”

A rookie no more, Wilcox said he’s more comfortable.

“I’m getting the feel of the game,” he said. “I’m in the right spot at the right time, I’m executing plays well. I’m just doing the little things Elton would be doing when he’s in the game. Those are big shoes to fill.”

TONIGHT

at Golden State, 7:30, Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- The Arena in Oakland.

Records -- Clippers 2-2, Warriors 4-3.

Record vs. Warriors (2002-03) -- 2-2.

Update -- Quentin Richardson sat out practice at the Arena in Oakland because of a sprained left ankle but said he would be in the lineup when Dunleavy coaches against his son, Warrior forward Mike Jr., for the first time in a regular-season game. It will be only the second time in NBA history that a father has coached against his son. The first was Nov. 9, 1976, at New Orleans, where Butch van Breda Kolff coached the New Orleans Jazz to a 110-99 victory over the New York Nets, who got six points, four rebounds and an assist from Jan van Breda Kolff.