Piatkowski Thinks He Could Be Ready for Season Opener

By LONNIE WHITE

Oct. 25, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

With a new sense of urgency, the Clippers returned to practice Tuesday at Southwest L.A. College and the highlight of the workout had to be the sighting of shooting guard Eric Piatkowski.

“He’s getting close . . . I still feel he is a little nervous on certain [maneuvers] but he’ll continue to get better,” Coach Alvin Gentry said about Piatkowski, who participated in team drills for the first time since he had surgery to remove torn cartilage in his left knee in late September.

“He’s getting stronger and it wouldn’t hurt to have another shooter on the team,” Gentry said.

Although Gentry is not sure when he’ll have Piatkowski in the lineup, the sharpshooting veteran said he’s on schedule to be ready for the season opener at Utah next Tuesday.

“I don’t think I was nervous making cuts, it was just my first day out there,” said Piatkowski, who will vie for playing time with versatile swingmen Corey Maggette, Darius Miles, Tyrone Nesby, Quentin Richardson and Lamar Odom.

“I feel like I’m close to where I want to be and that’s a real positive. It’s nice to go through an entire practice and do everything that everyone else did.”

Piatkowski wasn’t the only injured Clipper returning to practice. Odom was back on the floor after missing more than a week of practice and four exhibition games because of a sore left thigh. Nesby also was back after sitting out three games because of dental work, and center Michael Olowokandi practiced without a limp after sitting out three games last week because of an ankle sprain.

The Clippers had to work out without rookies Miles and Richardson because of injuries. Miles sat out because of a bruised left knee and Richardson has a left ankle sprain.

“One of the things the young guys are going to have to realize is that they are never going to be 100%,” Gentry said. “After the first day of training camp your rookie year, you’ll never be 100% again the rest of your career. The young guys we have are tough guys but they are going to have to understand they are going to have to play in pain and with bumps and bruises their whole career.”

Including suspended backup center Keith Closs, the Clippers have 17 players on their roster and will have to cut it to 12, with three spots open on the injured list, by Monday.

Gentry does not plan to cut again until after the final exhibition, against Seattle on Friday. One decision facing him is the future of rookie point guard Keyon Dooling, who finally played during the three-game trip last week.

“[Dooling] played well. . . . He has done some good things defensively,” Gentry said. “He didn’t shoot the ball well but I think that is something that will come, and his turnovers didn’t bother me too much because I thought they came on trying to make the right plays.”

Dooling said that his biggest adjustment is going to be getting used to NBA officiating.

“But once I do, I definitely feel like I can make a living off of defense in this league,” he said. “All I can do is play hard.”

The Clippers picked up the option on contracts for power forward Brian Skinner and Olowokandi, meaning both players are tied to the team through the 2001-02 season.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Final Exhibition Game

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Staples Center

Opponent: Seattle

Radio: KXTA (1150 AM)

Season Opener

When: Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Where: At Utah

TV: Fox Sports Net 2

Radio: KXTA (1150 AM)

Home Opener