Cassell Points to Difference in Depth

When Coach Mike Dunleavy joined the Clippers, they lacked depth and weren’t considered talented enough to compete with the NBA’s elite.

Yet as Dunleavy begins his fourth season, the Clippers are among the deepest teams in the league, players say, and versatility could help them take another big step.

“Without a doubt, we’ve got a lot of talent on this team,” point guard and co-captain Sam Cassell said. “We’re one of the deepest teams in this league by far.”

Veteran forwards Tim Thomas and Aaron Williams and rookie forward-center Paul Davis are expected to bolster the frontcourt.

As the Lakers could attest, Thomas was among the game’s best long-range shooters in the playoffs last season for the Phoenix Suns.

Thomas moves into the role that Vladimir Radmanovic, who signed with the Lakers during the off-season, occupied last season, and the Clippers say they’ve upgraded.

Williams, although slowed because of lower-back soreness in the exhibition season, has been a productive reserve throughout his career.

Then there’s Davis. The second-round pick from Michigan State has impressed, coaches say, and could be the first big man off the bench during the regular season.

Swingman Corey Maggette, who sat out 50 games because of foot, hamstring and back injuries last season, has been aggressive on offense in exhibition games, and swingman Quinton Ross worked out hard this summer with assistant coaches Kim Hughes, Rory White and Neal Meyer. Ross might be the most improved player on the team, the Clippers say.

Or is it backup point guard Shaun Livingston? The third-year player also worked out with assistant coaches this summer, and Livingston might not be a reserve much longer.

“We’ve got one star on this team, Elton Brand, and Elton is going to play,” Cassell said. “But some guys aren’t going to play as much as they want to. If I’m one of those guys, so be it. It’s about winning.”

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With most of the players in the Clippers’ rotation sitting out, second-year swingman Yaroslav Korolev made five of eight three-pointers and scored 25 points Friday night in a 116-106 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

“We’ve seen these kind of flashes all the time,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said of the 19-year-old Russian. “But he has to be more consistent in order for him to play at our level. It’s a tough group to break into.”

Korolev, who started in the backcourt and played 38 minutes, made 10 of 18 shots from the field.

“I feel more comfortable” from last season at this time, Korolev said. “It’s a preseason game, but it’s a good opportunity to show I’m developing.”

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jason.reid@latimes.com