CLIPPERS NOTEBOOK: PIATKOWSKI PRACTICING.Byline: Sean Kearns Staff Writer Eric Piatkowski Eric Todd Piatkowski (pronounced IPA: /ˌpaɪətˈkaʊski/) (born September 30, 1970, in Steubenville, Ohio) is an American National Basketball Association player with the Phoenix Suns. practiced with the Clippers for the first time on Tuesday since undergoing arthroscopic surgery Arthroscopic Surgery Definition Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure to visualize, diagnose, and treat joint problems. The name is derived from the Greek words arthron, which means joint, and skopein, which means to look at. on his left knee on Sept. 27. He showed little signs of his surgery. ``It was my first day out there and I felt really good . . .,'' Piatkowski said. ``I feel like I'm real close to where I want to be.'' The seventh-year guard from Nebraska is the best shooter on the Clippers and was second on the team in 3-pointers with 93. He led the team in 3-point shooting percentage at 38-percent. Piatkowski said he is aiming to be ready for the Clippers first regular- season game Tuesday at Utah. < '`I still think he is a little nervous on certain cuts and I think he'll be better in that area,'' Gentry said. ``He's getting stronger. It wouldn't hurt to have another shooter on this team.'' The knee bothered Piatkowski during voluntary workouts and he elected to have surgery to repair some damaged cartilage. --Options exercised: The Clippers exercised the contract options on center Michael Olowokandi Michael Olowokandi (born April 3 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria), nicknamed The Kandi Man is a Nigerian professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He currently is a free agent. and forward Brian Skinner Brian Skinner (born May 19 1976 in Temple, Texas) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. A 6'9", 265 lbs. forward-center from Baylor University, Skinner was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round (22nd for the 2001-2002 season. Olowokandi was the first overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft The NBA Draft is an annual North American event in which the National Basketball Association's (NBA) thirty teams (29 in the United States and one in Toronto, Canada) can select players who wish to join the league. . The Clippers selected Skinner with the 22nd pick. Both players are entering their third season with the team and both will become restricted free agents following the 2001-2002 season. The move was a formality for the Clippers and had to be made by Oct. 31. If not done, both Olowokandi and Skinner would become free agents after this season. The Clippers have emphasized the importance of keeping this current core of players together for at least the next three seasons. Clippers coach Alvin Gentry Alvin Gentry is an American professional basketball coach, and college basketball player, who has led three different NBA teams. He served as an interim coach for the Miami Heat at the end of the 1995 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Clippers. said he plans to run much of his low-post offense through Olowokandi this season. Skinner is likely to start at power forward. Olowokandi averaged 9.8 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds last season. Skinner was limited to 33 games by a severe ankle sprain ankle sprain Orthopedics A stretching of the ankle ligaments and/or muscles with swelling . He averaged 5.4 points and 6.1 rebounds. |
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