Improved Closs May Be the Answer

Picking up a big man has been high on the Clippers’ agenda ever since the team traded Lorenzen Wright to Atlanta and decided not to offer Stojko Vrankovic a contract.

A week into training camp, the Clippers are still looking and Keith Closs is making the most of his extra playing time. Closs, a 7-foot-3 third-year center, has earned a reputation for being more of a problem player off the court than being a player on it.

But Closs, 23, has been focused in his new role as backup to Michael Olowokandi, who has been slowed by a hip-pointer.

“Keith has had a great camp,” said Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations. “If you look at the list of backup centers around the league, Keith has played as well as anyone we could bring in right now. . . . The way Keith is playing, I don’t think we could get anyone who is playing better.”

Coach Chris Ford, who had more than his share of run-ins with Closs last season, agrees with Baylor.

“If you look what’s out there, I don’t think there’s anyone to help us,” Ford said. “They’ll be some big bodies but I’m looking for someone who can come in here and help. To just bring in a big body to fill a roster spot is not the answer. I’m looking for someone who can be in our rotation. . . . That’s why I said from the very beginning, we’re going to be a very small team.”

Closs, who grew up in Los Angeles, has not played a lot of basketball in his career. He began playing late at Sierra Vista High and then went on to established an NCAA Division I record for averaging 5.87 blocked shots per game at Central Connecticut State. Closs, however, played only two seasons in college before going pro. He played 12 games in the Atlantic Basketball Assn. before signing a free-agent contract with the Clippers.

In two seasons with the Clippers, Closs hasn’t done much to validate his multi-year contract worth more than $7.2 million. He played in 56 games as a rookie under Bill Fitch and averaged four points and 2.9 rebounds. Last season, he got off the bench in only 15 games for 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per outing.

Ford hopes that Closs’ new hard-working attitude does not stop.

“He’s been on time and doing the things he’s supposed to do,” Ford said about Closs, who will earn $1.68 million this season. “He’s spending the little extra time with the coaches before practices and hopefully, it will continue.”

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Point guard Eric Murdock suffered an ankle injury in a scrimmage Sunday night and is questionable for Tuesday’s exhibition opener against Golden State at San Jose Arena. . . . Regular-season single-game tickets will go on sale next week. . . . Today will be the final day of practice at Southwest College for the Clippers, who will work out at the Sports Arena and the team’s regular practice site in Carson the rest of the exhibition season.