Smoldering Wilkins Arrives : Clippers: Irked former Hawk All-Star practices with team and is expected to start tonight against Seattle.

The Atlanta Hawks were all Dominique Wilkins ever knew.

Wilkins spent his entire 12-year NBA career in Atlanta, where he became one of the city’s most popular athletes.

After Wilkins was traded to the Clippers for All-Star forward Danny Manning Thursday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a special section on Wilkins.

A crew from WSB-TV, the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, accompanied Wilkins to Los Angeles to chronicle his debut as Clipper tonight against the Seattle SuperSonics at the Sports Arena.

“I never knew anything but an Atlanta Hawks uniform,� Wilkins said. “It’ll be really strange, but life is full of changes and a lot of them are good, so I’m ready to get going. I love the game no matter where I’m at, so I just want to play.�

Wilkins, the NBA’s sixth-leading scorer with an average of 24.4 points per game this season, had helped the Hawks--off to their best start ever--challenge the three-time defending champion Chicago Bulls for the Central Division title. But Wilkins’ new team is battling to get out of last place in the Pacific Division.

“It was disappointing to leave that, I’ll be honest about that, because I felt we did have a chance,� Wilkins said. “I can accept trades as long as it’s done the right way, but that’s something I have to put behind me. I look forward to playing for the Clippers and anything else doesn’t really matter.

“After I left Atlanta, they said my productivity was down and my scoring was down. But it was for the betterment of the team. I thought I was having a great year.

“I felt the trade coming. I felt it all year. They kept talking championship, but they really didn’t want to win a championship, because they wouldn’t have put that kind of a distraction (the trade) on a team.

“When you’re having a great season, I don’t think you should take a piece of the puzzle away when you’re so close, but they felt they had to do it more for the future than for now, which doesn’t make much sense to me.�

Wilkins’ first day as a Clipper was hectic.

After arriving at LAX, where he was met by Clipper Coach Bob Weiss, he was whisked away in a stretch limo. After a physical exam, Wilkins had lunch at a soul food restaurant in Marina Del Rey, where he bumped into Clipper rookie forward Harold Ellis, who was also having lunch.

Then it was off to the Sports Arena for a news conference to introduce him to the Southland media.

It was strange to see Wilkins, who only last week played against the Clippers at the Sports Arena, changing into his red Clipper practice jersey in the locker room. He took the corner stall vacated by Manning.

Wilkins met his new teammates and then worked out for the first time with the team. Weiss moved practice to 5:30 so Wilkins could attend.

Wilkins, who is likely to start tonight, looked sharp in practice, throwing a nice pass through the key to set up guard Gary Grant for a layup during a scrimmage.

Clipper point guard Mark Jackson thinks Wilkins’ adjustment will be easy.

“We’ve played together in several charity games,� Jackson said. “We just want to get it down and get to know each other on the basketball court.�

The NBA’s ninth-leading all-time scorer, Wilkins is shooting a career-low .432 this season. However, Wilkins, 34, maintained that his scoring average has declined this season because he’s taking more three-pointers and concentrating more on playing defense.

“This guy’s a long ways from finished,� said Clipper assistant Johnny Davis, who coached Wilkins in Atlanta. “He can still play.�

Although he’s headed for the Hall of Fame, Wilkins, in the final year of a contract that pays him $3.5 million, isn’t ready to quit.

“I think I can play maybe 10 or eight years,� Wilkins quipped.

The Clippers are expected to open contract negotiations with Wilkins, who could become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, in several weeks.