Dunleavy’s new tack is working

The performance of Sam Cassell last season contributed to the Clippers’ best season in California.

Cassell’s vocal leadership, productivity in the two-man game with Elton Brand and clutch late-game shooting helped the Clippers reach the Western Conference semifinals. But with the veteran point guard injured often this season, the Clippers recently made major changes on offense.

Increased ball movement has been the key to the team’s improvement down the stretch, players said, and could mean the difference in earning a playoff berth.

“It made us harder to guard,” Cuttino Mobley said of the changes. “When you’re moving the ball, sharing it like we do, everybody eats.”

Coach Mike Dunleavy designed new plays, putting the ball in the hands of Mobley and Corey Maggette more often. Mobley and Maggette embraced the responsibility, their teammates said, focusing on playmaking first.

“Corey and ‘Cat’ have been great,” Brand said. “They’re setting up other guys, and they’re really taking advantage of the open looks they’re getting because we’re moving the ball more. It’s working out all the way around.”

Mobley thought it would.

The Clippers thrived last season with the Cassell-Brand attack, but Cassell and Brand haven’t been the same this season.

Shaun Livingston’s severe knee injury compounded the problems at point guard, so Dunleavy went to work on what might work better for the Clippers. He found it, Mobley said.

“No disrespect to Sam at all, he’s our guy, but when you’ve got Corey and me on one side, man, that’s 40, 40-plus points right there every single night,” Mobley said. “Corey does everything and I do everything, so Mike took that chance and said, ‘Look, we’ve got to make our other guys make plays.’ That’s what we’re doing.

“Jason Hart has come in, and he’s done a great job with it. Whether it’s myself, Corey, E.B., Tim [Thomas], whoever it is, everybody’s getting 17, 18, 19 points. I mean, who are you going to guard? Who are you going to double? That’s what I’ve been talking about.”

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Thomas, who scored nine points off the bench against Denver, suffered a sprained left wrist in the second quarter and did not return. The Clippers were already short-handed on the bench without Cassell (back spasms).