Kaman, Ross Urged to Pick Up Offense

Coach Mike Dunleavy sent a message recently to two of the Clippers’ more team-oriented young players: Unselfishness is an admirable virtue at the dinner table, but on the basketball court it can sometimes be overdone.

In other words, second-year center Chris Kaman and rookie guard Quinton Ross: Be more assertive, less deferential.

“He was looking to pass first, catching [the ball] like it was a hot potato,” Dunleavy said of Kaman, whose recent surge suggests he got the message. “He could have had a layup but if somebody else was open from 15 feet out, he’d give it to the guy open from 15 feet. No. Dunk the ball on the [defender’s] head or get fouled. Do something. Go in there. We trust you. We want you to do this.

“We told Q Ross the same thing. I said, ‘Q, do you know why I take you out of games? Because you don’t shoot. You’re open, I expect you to shoot. If you don’t shoot, I’m taking you out because it screws up everybody else. You’ve got a good look, everybody expects you to shoot it and we’re going to go rebound. Now you throw it out and now I’ve got to get out of the three-second lane. All kinds of stuff happens. Do what you’re supposed to do and you’ll play more.’ ”

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Before Wednesday’s victory over the Lakers, only their fourth in their last 32 games against their intra-city rivals, the Clippers were 0-8 against the teams ahead of them in the Western Conference playoff race. They’ve got six games left against those teams: home and away versus the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves, plus road games against the Lakers and Houston Rockets.

Tenth in the conference standings, they’re 3-8 against the top five teams in the West, with seven games to play. They’re 7-3 against the bottom five, with nine to go. And they’re 9-3 against the East, with 18 to play.

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Rookie Lionel Chalmers did not make the trip. His fiancee, Junethia Kinnebrew, gave birth Thursday to a girl, Londyn Jew’el.

TONIGHT

at Portland, 7, FSN West 2

Site -- Rose Garden.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150).

Records -- Clippers 20-22, Trail Blazers 16-25.

Record vs. Trail Blazers -- 1-1.

Update -- The Clippers play 10 of their next 12 games on the road, where they’ve lost five in a row and nine of 10. They lost at Portland in November, 94-81, before defeating the Trail Blazers at Staples Center this month, 102-98. Corey Maggette scored 12 points in the game at Portland, 31 at Staples Center.