Fitch Not Pleased With Bad Exhibitions

Coach Bill Fitch wasn’t in a good mood after the Clippers returned to their La Jolla training camp after losing all four games on a six-day exhibition trip.

Fitch, who places little importance on the exhibition season, wasn’t pleased after the Clippers lost to the Lakers by 31 points at St. Louis on Friday night.

Although Fitch has been happy with the play of centers Stojko Vrankovic and rookie Keith Closs, they were no match for Laker center Shaquille O’Neal, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes.

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Rookie Maurice Taylor, who angered Clipper officials when he missed Pete Newell’s Big Man’s camp in Hawaii last summer, is starting to emerge.

Taylor, the Clippers’ No. 1 draft pick from Michigan, had a game-high 15 points against the Lakers.

Taylor has said he idolized Clipper forward Loy Vaught, who played on Michigan’s 1989 NCAA championship team, but he hasn’t been in awe of Vaught in practice. Although they haven’t gotten into any fights, Taylor and Vaught have had fierce competitions.

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After working out at La Jolla today and Monday, the Clippers will break camp and return home to play an exhibition game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night at the Sports Arena.