Coach Wants Brand in Mix

The Clippers scoffed at the notion, put forth by the Seattle SuperSonics, that Vitaly Potapenko shut down Elton Brand in the second half of Saturday night’s 102-97 victory.

Their response, in so many words: Him and what army?

“The three guys they had around him stopped him,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said Sunday, reflecting on a game in which Brand scored 20 points in the first half before tallying six on one-for-three shooting in the second, when he often was guarded by two or three defenders.

Dunleavy, however, indicated that he would like Brand’s teammates to be more diligent in looking to feed the ball inside. The Clippers’ best shooter at 53%, Brand made eight of 13 shots against the SuperSonics. Quentin Richardson, meanwhile, made seven of 22, Corey Maggette 10 of 20. Richardson and Maggette combined for 15 shots in the fourth quarter. Brand had none.

“I think we went into him more than it looked based on his shot attempts,” Dunleavy said. “He did get to the free-throw line a couple times [making all four of his foul shots, after making all six in the first half]. And he did pass it back out to guys that were open [registering one of his four assists in the second half].

“But, on the other hand, any time that we could have gotten it in, I would rather the ball go in. I’d like the ball to be in his hands.

“Some of it’s the flow of the game, but it’s also something you look at and point out [to Brand’s teammates], ‘Hey, this guy’s shooting 53% from the field. Any time you get a chance to get him the ball, post him up and get it in there.’

“It’s key for us to have that component.”

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Even in a best-case scenario, Dunleavy said, the Clippers do not expect to have injured swingman Bobby Simmons back in the lineup until after the All-Star break. In the worst-case scenario, Simmons would require surgery on his damaged left hip and be sidelined for the season.

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Maggette, among the NBA leaders in free-throw percentage, has been bothered by blurred vision since he was raked across his right eye Friday night by Jazz forward Michael Ruffin. “My vision’s been kind of messed-up when I’m standing still trying to concentrate on the free-throw line,” said Maggette, who missed seven of 17 foul shots against the Jazz and four of 10 on Saturday at Seattle.