LOS ANGELES (AP) The Clippers have been NBA doormats for years, the price they've paid for failing to keep young talent and going after established free agents.

Playing in the shadow of the Lakers hasn't helped their image, either.

Now, thanks to three key offseason moves and perhaps a couple others they didn't make, the Clippers appear to have a promising future, not to mention high hopes for the present.

``There's no doubt in my mind this team can make the playoffs,'' said veteran reserve Glen Rice, who has played with several good teams _ including the Lakers' championship club of 2000. ``As long as we don't get caught up in thinking we're better than we are, we'll be fine.''

Making the playoffs in the highly competitive Western Conference figures to be difficult, especially for a team as young as the Clippers _ and one that's been there only three times in nearly two decades.

But at this stage, a third of the way through the season, they're in contention.

``We've done some really good things,'' said first-year coach Mike Dunleavy, who guided the Lakers to the NBA Finals in 1991 and the Portland Trail Blazers to the Western Conference finals in 1999 and 2000.

``My standards are kind of high,'' Dunleavy said. ``It doesn't matter what the perception is or where you're from. I want to win as soon as possible. I like their work ethic and their resiliency. Those have been positives so far.''

The Clippers, 27-55 last season, signed Dunleavy to a four-year, $10 million contract this summer _ the most they've ever paid a coach.

They also matched offer sheets signed by restricted free agents Elton Brand (six years, $82 million with Miami) and Corey Maggette (six years, $42 million with Denver) _ by far the richest contracts in franchise history.

``I think we have a good base,'' Dunleavy said. ``Our front line is in pretty good shape. We have to shore up our backcourt. Our top eight guys are 25 or under.

``We're growing. We're getting better.''

The Clippers didn't match offer sheets signed by Andre Miller with Denver or Lamar Odom with Miami. In addition, Michael Olowokandi left for Minnesota and Eric Piatkowski for Houston.

``We retained the people who justified the commitment,'' said Joe Safety, the team's vice president of communications. ``We still have some work to do, but we're happy with where we're going.''

The new look is also fine with Brand.

``I'm definitely happy to be here, especially the way things are going,'' he said. ``Nobody's complaining about not getting touches _ that happened in the past.''

Although the Clippers had several young, talented players last season, some were unhappy that the organization didn't appear to be interested in keeping them.

At times, it seemed some Clippers were playing for future contracts rather than the team.

``It was terrible,'' Brand said. ``There was feuding on the court. We'd be trying to win for two or three quarters. Then we'd see somebody had five points and needed to get more. It was tough.''

Brand, who missed 13 games when it was discovered after the season-opener that he had a broken bone in his right foot, said he's still rounding into shape.

The Clippers survived his absence, and since he returned they've beaten such quality teams as Dallas _ at home and on the road _ and New Orleans. While Brand was out, they defeated San Antonio and Denver, among others.

``It seems like those guys are playing loose, really starting to blossom out there,'' Piatkowski said. ``They know they're going to play 40 minutes _ they're not looking over their shoulders.''

Guard Quentin Richardson, who becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer but wants to stay with the Clippers, agreed with his former teammate.

``The previous few years, there were so many guys,'' he said. ``Now, I know I'm going to be out there. Mentally, it's easier. You can just play out there.''

Since moving from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984, the Clippers have made the playoffs only three times _ most recently in 1997. They've won only one playoff series in franchise history, in 1976 while still in Buffalo.

Before this year, the Clippers were 507-1019 with only one winning season since coming to Los Angeles. But Richardson, for one, believes the team is finally turning things around.

``We're getting the pieces in place to be a good team,'' he said. ``I want to be here. I like my teammates, the people in the organization.

``We feel like if we go out and have a pretty good defensive game, we can play with anybody.''

Dunleavy appears to have made a significant difference.

``I have a lot of respect for him because he knows what he's doing,'' Maggette said about the coach. ``He's impacted our team a whole lot. He does a lot of teaching and lets us know what we're supposed to do and how we're supposed to do it.''

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Clippers activated center Predrag Drobjnak and put Olden Polynice on the injured list Wednesday.

Drobjnak went on the injured list Dec. 19 because of back spasms. Entering Wednesday night's game against Denver, he was averaging 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 20 games this season _ his first with the Clippers.

Polynice, on the injured list for the third time because of a neck strain, played briefly in two games without scoring.

This summer the San Antonio Spurs had interest in Clippers forward Elton Brand but they passed because of Brand's restricted free agent status that gave the Clippers 15 days to match any offer.

The Spurs and Brands agent, David Falk, discussed a front-loaded deal that the Clippers might not match but the Spurs didn't want their capspace to be tied up by the deal.

"They had the cap room and were the defending world champions, and I was a semi-free agent, so of course I had to think about them," Brand said of the Spurs. "But we didn't talk that much.

"It was definitely understandable. When you're the defending world champions, you have to try to improve your team because everybody is going to be gunning for you. If I was unrestricted it might have been different. But they had to look in other directions."

It's a good thing that the Spurs didn't make the offer.

The Clippers matched a similar deal put forth by the Miami Heat.

Marko Jaric is now the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers.

"In most cases we will stay with Marko," (head coach Mike) Dunleavy said after Sunday's practice. "There may be [other] matchups where we think it makes more sense to go a different way. But for now he has the job."

LOS ANGELES (AP) Forward Glen Rice was activated Wednesday by the Los Angeles Clippers, who put center Olden Polynice on the injured list.

Rice, a 14-year veteran, went on the injured list for the second time this season because of a bruised right knee Dec. 1. He missed the first five games with a hyperextended right knee.

He was averaging 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in five games heading into Wednesday night's game against Dallas.

Polynice has a strained neck, which kept him out of the season's first 12 games.

At 6-11 before Wednesday, the Clippers have the worst record in the NBA's Western Conference.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Clippers forward Elton Brand was activated Friday, five weeks after he was sidelined with a broken right foot, and guard Eddie House went on the injured list.

House missed the Clippers' game Wednesday night game against Cleveland because of a sprained left foot. He has averaged 6.1 points and 2.0 assists in 13 games this season.

Brand was sidelined since getting hurt in a season-opening 109-100 loss to Seattle in Japan on Oct. 30. He went on the injured list Nov. 15.

"I feel good. It's pain free,'' said Brand, who is recovered from a hairline fracture of the fourth metatarsal in his right foot suffered five weeks ago. "I'm just trying to run as hard as I can, to make sure my conditioning is there because once you're in a game, it's different than practice.''

"The Clippers will have a reduced bench for the second consecutive game. Guard Eddie House (strained left foot) and forward Chris Wilcox (strained left groin) are likely out again tonight. Backup forward Bobby Simmons suffered a broken nose in Thursday's practice when he was hit with a forearm by center Olden Polynice. After being given an ice pack by strength and conditioning coach Johnny Doyle, Simmons was examined after practice and the break was discovered. He will be fitted with a mask and is expected to play tonight."