INGLEWOOD — Two days after the All-Star break, things didn’t settle down for the Clippers.
Coach Tyronn Lue rushed out before Wednesday’s practice was over for a doctor’s appointment.
Following practice, the Clippers players were herded into an NBA-mandated meeting followed by a meet-and-greet with American wrestler CM Punk. Team owner Steve Ballmer was even in attendance.
But there was enough time for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and Darius Garland, all acquired before the trade deadline, to learn more about the Clippers’ offensive and defensive schemes, how they can fit into the rotation and what is expected of them moving forward.
It was the Clippers’ second practice in as many days, continuing to integrate the team’s three new players into the system before the season resumes on Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets.
Mathurin, the best player the Clippers acquired in the trade with the Indiana Pacers, gives the team a high-scoring wing who is averaging 17.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game despite missing most of January because of toe and thumb injuries.
“Everybody is pretty familiar with my game, so it kind of helps a lot,” Mathurin said. “I think that there’s still a lot more to do, still a lot more to learn with the system, offensive, defensive and especially off the court as well.”
Mathurin scored nine points and had four rebounds in his Clippers debut on Feb. 10, the first night of a back-to-back road set against the Houston Rockets. The following night, he came away with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, one blocked shot and three steals in 31 minutes.
“I just feel like I kind of get the chance to do it even more over here (with the Clippers),” Mathurin said. “I think it is going to go to a different level.”
Mathurin showed what he can do in last season’s NBA Finals, when he scored a career-high 27 points off the bench in a 116-107 Game 3 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder that gave the Pacers a 2-1 series lead.
“I think it is just about me being myself, you know what I’m saying? I just feel like T-Lu’s going to give me the chance to really go out there and play my game without any restrictions,” Mathurin said.
“I think the biggest jump it’s going to be for me, especially playing with great players like Kawhi and DG (Garland) and the rest of the guys on the team, just going to allow me to show even more.”
For Jackson, the integration has been slower. The 6-foot-8 power forward played just five minutes in the first game against Houston before the break, scoring on two field goal attempts and one of two free throws, but he will be counted on to back up starting center Brook Lopez. Jackson is averaging 7.0 points. 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots this season.
“Just helping the team win. I think that’s the main goal right now,” Jackson said. “I think once I get acclimated and stuff, hopefully my play and time goes up. Right now, it’s just getting acclimated and helping as much as I can.”
Jackson, who can quickly get inside to score, gives the team three big men, along with Lopez and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser, a luxury not many teams enjoy.
“Right now, I’m just thinking, just talking to our staff about just playing three bigs,” Lue said. “We can’t continue to play Brook 34, 35 minutes a night, even though he says he’s OK. So, just given three centers, it’s a chance to play them all and then whoever’s playing the best will probably play in the second half. We’ll see how it goes.”
Garland took part in drills Wednesday but sat out live contact to bring him along slowly. Garland’s debut is expected to be delayed until March as the training staff manages continued soreness in his surgically repaired left great toe.
“He didn’t do three-on-two, or two-on-one,” Lue said of Garland’s activity on Thursday. The previous day, Lue said he participated in the defensive stations live, full-court drills and pre-practice stuff.
“He felt good,” Lue said.
JORDAN SIGNED TO CONTRACT
As expected, the Clippers signed forward Jordan Miller to a standard NBA contract on Wednesday after he played on a two-way deal for most of the season. His signing comes less than two weeks after the team elevated rookie Kobe Sanders from his two-way contract to their 15-man roster.
Miller appeared in the Clippers’ last 29 games and has averaged 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 25.9 minutes while making 52.6% of his shots from the floor in his past 18 games.
NUGGETS AT CLIPPERS
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/Radio: FDSN SoCal, 570 AM, 1330 AM
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