Maggette Tries a Little Patience

Slow down. That’s the message second-year swingman Corey Maggette has heard every day since the Clippers opened training camp this month.

When it comes to talent, there’s no question Maggette has plenty of that. At 6 feet 6, he may be the best all-around athlete on the team. He can run and jump with anyone in the league and, after shooting thousands of practice jumpers over the summer, his shooting is definitely at an NBA level.

His problem, however, has been his lack of patience. Instead of allowing the game to come to him, he has a bad habit of rushing things.

“I’m starting to better understand that on different plays, I have to allow the play to develop or I’m going to be going too fast,” said Maggette, expected to get his second start of the exhibition season tonight when the Clippers play Portland at Staples Center.

“I have to do be able to do that. To be able to slow down, read things a little more and ease into things instead of rushing, I’m going to be that much better of a player.”

Maggette, who has made five of 11 field goals in two exhibition games, said he’s also starting to like his growing reputation as a defensive stopper.

“We really don’t know what our roles are yet, I think our roles are to just play right now,” he said.

“When you stop people on defense, you then get to play offense. So why not play defense for 24 seconds?”

With Lamar Odom out for tonight’s game because of sore right quadriceps, Maggette should get plenty of work against the Trail Blazers after not playing at all when the Clippers lost at Portland last Thursday.

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Joining Odom on the sidelines for tonight’s game against Portland will be center Michael Olowokandi, who sprained his right ankle in Saturday’s victory over Vancouver; rookie point guard Keyon Dooling, who will sit out his fourth consecutive game because of strained right big toe; and possibly rookie swingman Quentin Richardson, who did not practice Monday because of back spasms.

Coach Alvin Gentry does not consider any of the injuries serious and hopes to have Dooling ready for Thursday’s game at Denver.

“He’s probably mad at me now because I won’t let him out there,” Gentry said. “He wants to be out there, but it is more important for him to be completely healed.”