OCEANSIDE - The 2010-11 Clippers made their public debut Sunday afternoon in front of approximately 200 members of the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine family members at Camp Pendleton.
Coach Vinny Del Negro sat in the top row of the bleachers in Paige Fieldhouse, watched and took a few notes as assistants Dean Demopoulos (the white jerseys) and Mark Iavaroni (the blue jerseys) coached the split-squad scrimmage, with the White team ``winning'', 39-32, over two, 20-minute (with running clock) sessions.
Each of the teams had two projected starters for the team's Oct. 27 regular-season opener (at home to Portland), with center Chris Kaman scoring 12 points and forward Ryan Gomes adding seven for the White,
Guard Eric Gordon had nine points and forward Blake Griffin added six for the Blue, which trailed by as many as 14 point before Gordon - with a pass to Deandre Jordan for a dunk, a 3-pointer from the left wing and a pull-up 15-footer - sparked a late 7-0 run.
Baron Davis - the projected starter at point guard - watched the scrimmage from the bench, as was anticipated, with his left knee wrapped in ice after he participated in a one-hour workout before the scrimmage.
Two other members of the 18-member roster, veteran forward Craig Smith (tightness in his lower back) and rookie Willie Warren (a strained groin), were also just spectators for the scrimmage.
Among the likely bright spots for the coaching staff (coaches and players weren't available to the media for comments after a brief autograph session before they boarded busses back to Los Angeles) was the play of Kaman, Gordon, Gomes and Eric Bledsoe.
The 7-foot Kaman, an all-star selection last season, did pretty much as he pleased offensively while mostly being guarded by Jordan and scored 10 of his team's first 15 points over the first six and a half minutes.
Gordon missed some makeable jump shots but asserted himself - especially off the dribble - down the stretch.
Gomes scored all of his points in the second half, knocking in a straightaway 3-point after a pass out of the post from Kaman, and adding layups after a cut (and pass from Jarron Collins) and on a slashing drive.
Bledsoe, a first-round pick by way of the University of Kentucky acquired from Oklahoma City on draft night, was much more poised and efficient at point guard for the White team than he was while playing in the Las Vegas Summer League in July.
The team was scheduled to work out in the Clippers Training Center in Playa Vista this morning before boarding a charter flight later today for a flight to Portland for the team's preseason opener Tuesday night.
