They could have spent the summer basking on the beach. Instead they spent hours on individual drills, full-court games and weight-room work.

Training camp officially begins today for the Clippers at College of the Desert. But a contingent of players, led by captain Lamar Odom, has been diligently practicing for months. The Clippers are one of the NBA's youngest teams, but youthful exuberance was not the reason for regular attendance at the daily voluntary workouts.