There are many reasons for their high hopes, not the least of which is the physical condition of BillWalton.
Finally, it appears the long list of injuries suffered by the 6-foot-11 center is in the past.
Walton, who turns 32 next month, says he is no longer bothered by his left foot, which has caused years of pain and required several operations, or any of the other injuries that have kept him away from the basketball court.
For the first time since 1976, he will begin an NBA season in what he and the team doctor, Tony Daly, call excellent physical shape. That is, if he can avoid injury or illness between now and next Saturday night when the Clippers, who moved from San Diego to Los Angeles last spring, open the season at Utah against the Jazz.
During the exhibition season, he has been consistent if not brilliant. More important, he has averaged almost 24 minutes a game and hasn't been seen hobbling once.
"I really haven't had any injuries to my leg since my right ankle was operated on at the end of the 1982-83 season," Walton said last month. "I just had the broken hand (last season). I had a very productive summer and I'm looking forward to starting the season. It isn't a big deal."
In his 10 NBA seasons _ he couldn't play in three of them because of injuries _ Walton has broken his nose five times, has had three broken fingers, recurring bone spurs in both ankles, a broken leg, two broken wrists, a broken hand, several knee operations and surgery to repair nerve damage in his right foot.
All those injuries were considered minor, however, compared to Walton's left foot, which he broke three times. But that's in the past.
"Dr. Daly has given Bill a clean bill," said Carl Scheer, the Clippers' general manager. "He has assured us that the leg is strong enough and the body strong enough to play regularly.
"But we do have insurance on the bench. That's one of the reasons we got (reserve center) Harvey Catchings (in last month's Marques Johnson-for-Terry Cummings trade). Now, we have more flexibility with our players."
Said Daly, who was head physician for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee: "It seems to me that Bill is playing without any regard to his foot. He no longer worries that he might break it _ or break anything else. He is no more of a medical risk now than anyone else on the team."
In his 10 NBA seasons, Walton has played in only 311 out of a possible 820 regular-season games because of his various injuries. Although he missed 17 regular-season games in 1976-77, he played in all of Portland's playoff games and led the Trail Blazers to their only NBA title.
Portland seemed headed for its second straight championship the next season when Waltoninjured the arch of his right foot. He had surgery, missed 22 games, but returned for the playoffs.
Before a playoff game against Seattle, he felt pain in the arch of his left foot and was injected with a pain-killing drug. That night, he broke a bone just below the ankle and was out for the playoffs.
During his initial recovery, Walton blamed Portland team physician Robert Cook for "liberal use of pain-killing injections" and asked to be traded. Cook said the injection did not numb the boneWalton broke.
After sitting out the 1978-79 season with complications from the left-foot injury, Walton was traded to the Clippers.
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