Clippers’ Richardson Has Stress Fracture

Pooh Richardson, the Clippers’ starting point guard, will be sidelined three to six weeks because of a stress fracture in his left foot and will be sidelined the start of the regular season on Nov. 3, the club said.

After missing the last two exhibition games, Richardson was examined Monday by team physician Tony Daly, who diagnosed the injury after reviewing a bone scan.

Richardson appeared downcast as he limped into practice Monday night at UC Irvine to meet with Coach Bill Fitch and his teammates.

“I’m a little down about it because I was looking forward to playing,” Richardson said. “You feel like you let your team down, you let your coaches down and you let management down.”

Richardson suffered the injury in a 46-point exhibition victory over Sacramento on Oct. 15, but says he doesn’t remember how it happened.

“I don’t remember getting stepped on or turning it,” he said.

Said Fitch: “As bad as I feel for the team, I really really feel for Pooh.”

The Clippers, who renounced the rights to point guard Gary Grant before training camp, are now without an experienced point guard.

Terry Dehere, drafted as a shooting guard in 1993, is likely to start in place of Richardson, with rookie Brent Barry the No. 2 point guard. Fitch said the Clippers haven’t decided whether to sign another point guard.

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Fitch said center Stanley Roberts, who reported to training camp over weight and out of shape, will be suspended without pay when regular season opens on Nov. 3 if he doesn’t meet a weight clause in his contract. Roberts is due to earn $3 million this season.

“His contract specifies what his condition has to be and if he doesn’t meet that he’ll open on the suspended list,” Fitch said. “He hasn’t got a lot of time to do a lot of the things he’s going to have to do.

“It’s not a threat, it’s just there and he knows that. I don’t think he’s treating it as a threat, he’s treating it as a goal or a challenge.”

Listed at 7-feet, 290-pounds in the Clippers’ media guide, Roberts appears to weigh more than 300 pounds. However, Roberts and the club have declined to reveal his weight or how much his contract specifies he must weigh.

Meanwhile, the Clippers waived 7-3 center Constantin Popa, their second-round draft pick. Hampered by a sore back, Popa hadn’t played during the exhibition season.