CLIPPERS NOTEBOOK: NEW START, OLD TEAMS.Byline: Joe Stevens Staff Writer Today is opening day, and right away the Clippers' 2002-03 story line is diverging into intriguing subplots. The Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (also known as the Cavs) are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a 1970 expansion team and won their first Eastern Conference Championship in 2007. happen to be the Clippers' first opponent, meaning ex-Clipper Darius Miles Darius LaVar Miles (born October 9, 1981 in Belleville, Illinois) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Miles attended East St. Louis High School, and, after failing to receive a qualifying SAT score to attend St. and new Clipper Andre Miller Andre Lloyd Miller (born March 19, 1976 in Los Angeles, California) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. College career Miller played collegiately at the University of Utah for four years. will play against their former teams right away. ``That's a coincidence and somewhat of a motivation, especially being the first game,'' Miller said. ``We want to get out to a good start, and it's a good way to start, really.'' On July 30, the Clippers sent Miles to the Cavs for Miller in what arguably was the highest-profile trade of the NBA's offseason. The trade gave the Clippers the play-making point guard they desired; Miller led the league with 10.9 assists last season. For the Cavs, they got a potential superstar and one of the league's most electrifying e·lec·tri·fy tr.v. e·lec·tri·fied, e·lec·tri·fy·ing, e·lec·tri·fies 1. To produce electric charge on or in (a conductor). 2. a. young players in Miles. Still, Clippers coach Alvin Gentry dismissed the idea the opener had added importance because of the matchup. ``This isn't about Darius and Andre,'' Gentry said. ``This is about Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers. There is not one thing different about (this opener). It's the same thing it's been for the last 15 years I've been in the league.'' Gentry also didn't support the idea he'd have extra insight into coaching against Miles. He did, though, reiterate his positive feelings for the new Cav. ``We're still close with Darius, just like guys on their team are still close with Andre,'' Gentry said. ``We pull for him to do well. We just don't want him to do well in our two games against him. But he's a great kid and did a lot for our franchise in the two years that he was here.'' --Mum on lineup: Gentry refused to say what his opening lineup would be, reserving the right to change it before the game. However, it appears to be at full strength, minus Lamar Odom, who is on the injured list with a sore right wrist and sore right ankle. If it is at full strength, Miller should be joined by Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette, Elton Brand and Michael Olowokandi. --No new deal: The Clippers will start the season as the only NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= team without a local cable-television deal. That means only 35 of their 82 games are expected to be televised, with 25 on KTLA KTLA KCBS TV in Los Angeles Channel 5, six on ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network and four on TNT TNT: see trinitrotoluene. TNT in full trinitrotoluene Pale yellow, solid organic compound made by adding nitrate (−NO2) groups to toluene. . The Clippers and Fox Sports failed to reach an agreement for the season, though negotiations likely will continue. A Clippers source said the team was willing to take the same deal it had last season, but Fox would not accept that. Fox refused to comment on the negotiations. CAPTION(S): box Box: CLIPPERS vs. CLEVELAND |
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