Baker Takes Realistic Approach to Return

Vin Baker never lost hope that he would one day return to the NBA. Even if others thought the four-time All-Star -- who battled weight problems, alcoholism and depression while playing for five teams from 1993-94 to 2004-05 -- might be done after Houston released him last season, his 12th in the league.

But the 6-foot-11 Baker, 34, who signed a free-agent deal with the Clippers last Monday, kept working out in Houston with former NBA player and coach John Lucas, kept working on stabilizing his private life, and kept believing he’d get another chance.

“I had been talking with Lucas about some teams that might be interested in me -- this being one of the teams,” Baker said Sunday. “I knew there would be an opportunity but I didn’t know where. I thought it was a tremendous blessing for Coach [Mike] Dunleavy to give me that call and say he was looking at me.”

Dunleavy, then coaching Milwaukee, drafted Baker out of Hartford in 1993.

With the Clippers thin in post players after the trade of Chris Wilcox and the loss of Chris Kaman to a left-ankle sprain, Dunleavy thinks Baker can get up to speed quickly because he has a working knowledge of the offensive and defensive systems Dunleavy favors.

“I’ve been keeping track of him for two months,” Dunleavy said. “He still has good balance in his step, and he knows how to play.”

Baker, who averaged 15.1 points in his previous 783 NBA games, hasn’t been activated. That could happen soon, especially if Kaman is going to miss more than the two games he’s expected to sit out.

For now, though, Baker is thrilled to again be part of the league.

“I know physically I’m capable of playing this game,” Baker said. “Not at the same level when I was 24 and 25, but I’m capable of being effective. It was a matter of getting my body in shape and my mind ready for the NBA schedule.

“I’ve had some success, and you just have to tap into that. Maybe it won’t happen every time down the court, but there will be spurts and moments when I’ll be able to pull some things out of the bag.”

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Also looking to pick up the slack in Kaman’s absence is Zeljko Rebraca, the 7-foot reserve center who has missed much of the season because of heart surgery.

Rebraca has played in three games since returning to the active roster. His longest stint was 18 minutes against Houston on Wednesday. He played 15 minutes against the Lakers on Friday.

“I’m very happy to be on the court and I’ll try to do my best to help,” Rebraca said. “It’s tough to get back in game shape when you’ve been out three months. But I don’t have a limit on my minutes. We’ll see how it goes. I know if I don’t play good I’ll be on the bench.”

TONIGHT

vs. Charlotte, 7:30, FSN West 2

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 1150.

Records -- Clippers 31-23, Bobcats 15-42.

Record vs. Charlotte -- 1-0.

Update -- This is how it’s going for the Bobcats: They scored a team-record 74 points in the first half Saturday against Phoenix. They scored 121 points in the game, the second-highest single-game total in team history. And they lost to the Suns by 15 -- in regulation. Charlotte is also 5-24 away from its home arena and 5-18 against Western Conference teams.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2489 or clippers.com.