Kittles’ Debut Seems Delayed

The Clippers had broken camp, most of them having scattered, their SUVs barreling down the 101, pointed toward Los Angeles. In the gym at Santa Barbara City College on Monday only a handful of people remained, support personnel packing up and a family of four patiently waiting for one last autograph.

Kerry Kittles stayed behind for another 30 minutes, methodically firing jump shots at the far end of the court.

A week after they opened camp and slightly more than three weeks before they are scheduled to open their 21st season in Los Angeles, Nov. 3 against the Seattle SuperSonics at Staples Center, the Clippers also are waiting on Kittles.

The former New Jersey Net guard has not yet practiced with his new teammates, his balky right knee having limited his activity since arthroscopic surgery in June.

“At this point,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said before leaving Santa Barbara, “I’m not really counting on him for the opener.”

Kittles has no timetable.

“When it’s ready, it’s ready,” he said, having sat out the 2000-01 season because of an injury to the same knee. “I’ll know when it’s ready.”

Ironically, the Clippers traded for Kittles, 30, and renounced Quentin Richardson, 24, in part because they were concerned about Richardson’s back, injured more seriously than they let on last season.

Kittles had surgery to clean out scar tissue in his knee about a month before the Clippers traded for him. They sent a second-round pick to the Nets.

Though he passed a post-trade physical and was cleared to play by the Clippers’ medical staff, Kittles sought a second opinion because of a clicking sound in the knee joint, General Manager Elgin Baylor said last month in a statement.

He was advised to take part in a six-week conditioning program designed to strengthen his knee.

Four weeks into the program, Kittles said his lengthy rehab “has to do with the way the knee is aligned. We’re just trying to work on helping it perform a little bit better.”