Is This All They Have to Offer?

Clipper fans showed a healthy skepticism Wednesday night. Some of them stayed away from Staples Center altogether, the empty purple seats evidence of discontent. They were right to be unhappy.

With what, though?

Certainly with the 98-96 loss to Cleveland, a team that’s not very good.

But with what else?

With owner Donald Sterling’s unwillingness to commit to the future, to the way Michael Olowokandi and Elton Brand are playing more for big contracts with other teams?

With the players and their high school enthusiasm but with their high school reluctance to play hard defensively, to wander with some aggressiveness but not so much purpose on offense and to zone out when there’s no chance to score?

With the realization that the Clippers may not be any closer to the NBA playoffs than they were a year ago or two or three?

Is it hard to watch Olowokandi hustle for a while, to demand rebounds even if he takes them from teammates, and not think that he is auditioning for that $100 million contract for next year?

Is it hard not to find the strange hands to head circle celebration thing a bit awkward now when it is being practiced not only by the young Clippers -- Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette -- but by the young Cavalier, Darius Miles?

There wasn’t much noise, except for the fellow who yelled “Angels” during the national anthem and there wasn’t much enthusiasm by the end for a team that seems flummoxed as to where it wants to go.

And it is past time for the Clippers to know where they want to go.

Coach Alvin Gentry was wise when he said the other day that he admired the Angels and the way they understood the advantages of true teamwork, of sometimes putting aside one’s personal goals for something grander.

And Gentry was unhappy, despondent almost, at what he saw from his team in its 98-96 loss to Cleveland, a team which had been blown out by Sacramento one night earlier.

Gentry lamented a lack of hustle, a disinterest in playing defense, a refusal to go hard after loose balls. “They won the battle of the hustle plays,” Gentry said. “That’s my biggest disappointment. Not that we lost. We didn’t do a very good job in defending. Too many times it was one pass and shoot. That’s what bothered me.”

So is it hard to warm up to this unformed entity? When will Lamar Odom be healthy; he’s already wealthy but will he ever be wise? Will he ever be reliable and eager to work as part of the group?

Is it worth getting worked up in November for a team that might disintegrate by January? There should be substantial doubt about the mind set of the Clippers -- the ones who might be distracted by the swirl of contract speculation and the others who watch and wonder what will happen to them when the contract expires?

Why be bothered about a team that, with less than four minutes left, in a tie game, let Ricky Davis rebound his own, horrible clanged shot, let Davis grab it without moving a step, let him get it while five Clippers watched?

“That signified the whole night,” Gentry said. “Davis shot the ball and he still wanted the ball back more than we did.” Where’s the percentage in being emotionally involved in this?

Elton Brand wasn’t on the floor at the end, when the Clippers were letting rebounds dribble off their fingers, letting passes trickle out of bounds. Brand is clearly not in playing shape after knee surgery.

But this is a team without much margin for error. They are supposed to improve. They are supposed to make the playoffs. It won’t be enough this year to dawdle, assume their natural talents will take them into the postseason.

The way this game disappeared in the fourth quarter, the way Olowokandi took a shot outside his comfort range at the end when Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas found just his spot, nine feet from the basket, where he calmly shot over Olowokandi with 2.8 seconds left and made the game winner, may be haunting in March and April when, if they’re lucky, the Clippers will be scrapping for playoff spot No. 8.

Brand, as Gentry said, wasn’t quite ready to play. And he is the best Clipper, the most reliable, the steadiest and hardest worker. But it was discouraging to Gentry to see so many others on the floor who didn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t pick up for Brand.

“I have got to decide who I’m going to go with, who’s going to play,” Gentry said. “I’m not gonna play 10 guys.”

That sounds like a threat and it should. The Clippers should be better than what they offered Wednesday. And if a team can’t be excited on opening night, February could be grim.

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Diane Pucin can be reached at [email protected]