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Fresh start for ClippersA year ago during Clippers media day, there was talk about how the franchise had become a playoff contender. At their media day Monday, talk of the playoffs was not emphasized. Instead, the focus was on how this year's team is different from last season's and that it's time for a fresh start. "It's a new year," Corey Maggette said. "A new year is about new things. There are a lot of new things going on, and hopefully, we'll be able to go out there and do what we're supposed to do on the floor and get it done." Perhaps what contributed to the gloom of last season was that the Clippers were expected to make the playoffs, or at least fight for a playoff berth. With Mike Dunleavy and his staff taking over coaching duties and with Elton Brand and Maggette signing six-year deals, there are obvious differences this year. There were visual differences at media day, too. The jerseys players wore made it look as if the team were trying to forget last season. Lamar Odom's No. 7 has been taken by free-agent guard Marcus Hatten, and Michael Olowokandi's No. 34 now is worn by free-agent center Josh Moore. Andre Miller's No. 24 has gone to Tremaine Fowlkes, and Darius Miles' No. 21 from two seasons ago is Bobby Simmons'. The numbers may be different, but the question remains if last year's final number -- 27 victories -- will be different. Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Drobnjak goes from Seattle to Clippers in sign-and-tradeThe Seattle SuperSonics traded center Predrag Drobnjak, who had gone unsigned all summer as a restricted free agent, to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday for a future second-round draft choice. Drobnjak, 6-foot-11 and 272 pounds, averaged 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 82 games last season for Seattle. He was the Sonics' starting center for most of the season. Drobnjak received little interest on the free agent market, and the teams worked out a sign-and-trade deal that prevented Drobnjak from waiting 15 days to see whether Seattle would match an offer sheet from the Clippers. ``This way he can start with the Clippers immediately,'' Sonics spokesman Mark Moquin said. The Sonics have three other centers _ Jerome James, Calvin Booth and Vitaly Potapenko, while the Clippers lost starting center Michael Olowokandi as a free agent when he signed with Minnesota. During the offseason, the 27-year-old Drobnjak was a teammate of Clippers' guard Marko Jaric on the Serbia and Montenegro team that participated in the European Championship. He was also a member of the Yugoslavian National Team that won the gold medal at the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis. A native of Yugoslavia, he was acquired by Seattle from the Washington Wizards in 2001. The Wizards had chosen him in the second round of the 1997 draft. Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Clippers set to order center off Sonic menuBarring any last-minute snags, the Clippers today will complete a trade with the Seattle SuperSonics to acquire center Predrag Drobnjak for a future second-round draft pick. Drobnjak, a restricted free agent, averaged 9.4 points last season. The Clippers are expected to sign him to a four-year contract at an average of $2.5 million per year. The Clippers considered signing him to an offer sheet in the summer until the opportunity for a sign-and-trade arose. With last year's starting center, Michael Olowokandi, now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Clippers are not set at that position. Along with the 6-foot-11 Drobnjak, the Clippers have 15-year veteran Olden Polynice, second-year player Melvin Ely and rookie Chris Kaman, taken sixth overall in this year's NBA draft. Drobnjak is not a classic low-post center but is a good perimeter shooter. Although it is not likely that Drobnjak would be the starting center, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said he envisions him in the regular rotation. "He has good mobility and is a good outside shooter," Dunleavy said after the team's first training-camp workout Saturday. Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Clippers Sep 2003 Archive
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