CLIPPERS NOTEBOOK: AGAINST THE SUNS, IT'S ALL ABOUT DEFENSE.

Byline: Randy Hill

That fast tempo promised and/or threatened by first-year coach Chris Ford may have to begin at a trot.

``I don't think we can get into a shootout with (the Phoenix Suns),'' said Ford of his team's season opener Friday.

The Suns will sprint into the Sports Arena with a mighty 116.5 points-per-game scoring average in two exhibition victories over Dallas.

``We have to play some semblance of defense,'' said Ford, who does not hesitate when identifying the main target of Clippers basket-protection tactics. ``Our number one concern is Jason Kidd's ability to dominate the game with the basketball.''

Kidd, now beginning his fifth NBA season, averaged 11.6 points per game and shot just 42 percent from the field for the Suns last season. Not much domination there, right?

That's because Kidd's seminal skill is the precision pass, which typically arrives at the end of a frantic open-court burst. The former Cal star was second in the league in assists-per-game last season with 9.1.

``He goes 100 miles per hour for 48 minutes,'' said Darrick Martin, the Clipper responsible for staying between Kidd and the hoop. ``You just try to contain him as much as possible and kind of funnel him into help.''

That appeared to be the scheme under construction during most of the team's Wednesday-morning workout at Veterans Park SportsComplex in Carson. Some of the aforementioned help could come from the shot-blocking potential of rookie center Michael Olowokandi.

Ex-Rebel helps his cause: Tyrone Nesby, the rookie free agent from Nevada-Las Vegas, continues to shine in team scrimmages.

``He backs down to no one,'' Ford said. ``I would not hesitate to use him early. He brings us so much energy out there. It'll be interesting to see how he does against NBA competition on a nightly basis.''