Coach Not Surprised, or Satisfied

A franchise-best 8-2 start is gratifying but not necessarily satisfying to Coach Mike Dunleavy, who says he expected this, and more, of the Clippers.

“I didn’t know how quickly our guys would gel, but we feel like we can beat anybody,” he said Monday. “I felt like if we could avoid injuries, with the guys we have, we would be a good team. I’ve been consistent about that since training camp.

“I think we’ve got a good group of guys and a good mix, so, no, I’m not surprised by anything. I know other people might be, but what I’m focused on is continuing to get better. We haven’t played as well as we can.”

Shot selection is among Dunleavy’s concerns. Although point guard Sam Cassell has managed games well, Dunleavy said the Clippers have often used poor judgment in shot selection at key moments. They have to improve to achieve their goal of qualifying for the NBA playoffs, he said.

“We just have to play smart,” Dunleavy said. “We get caught up a little bit in taking quick shots -- bad shots -- at times that have let people back into games. That’s where we have to get better.

“When you get up double digits, let’s think about how you get up the second set of double digits. You don’t do it with the knockout punch, you’ve got to body-punch. You got here by body-punching, not by hitting long threes with big seconds on the clock.”

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Forward Elton Brand shed 20 pounds in the off-season and worked on improving his jump shot.

It shows. He’s averaging 24.1 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

“Brand is a hard guy to guard inside,” Golden State Coach Mike Montgomery said Sunday after Brand scored 32 points in the Clippers’ 113-101 victory over the Warriors. “He’s quick to the ball. He puts it down and he spins. He’s always had a very good touch over bigger players. He’s just a real tough guard.”

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Guard Cuttino Mobley is averaging 17.2 points and shooting 39.2% from three-point range. He ranked third in the NBA in three-point shooting last season.