PALM DESERT, Calif. -- The days when the Clippers offered opponents a nice respite from the rigors of NBA competition are over. A visit to their training camp just outside Palm Springs, Calif., revealed a practice court teeming with talent and crisp execution, and that was with a half-dozen regulars out with injuries.

Just under the surface, though, the uneasiness that has long been part of the Clippers' aura lurks. The most obvious reason is that the players know they all won't be back, what with one unrestricted free agent, four restricted free agents, two lottery-pick power forwards and an owner in Donald Sterling whose payroll has skimmed just above the league minimum for years. It's not just that the players wonder which of them will be back. With Sterling's spendthrift history, they have to wonder if any of them will be.

	What will Michael Olowokandi and the Clips shoot for? Wins or stats?

Another reason for the subdued mood is the presence of Lamar Odom, who knows the team had hoped to send him to Cleveland for Andre Miller on draft night.

"At least it's nice to know you're wanted somewhere," said an unsmiling Odom, who will start this season as he finished the last, sidelined by ankle and wrist injuries. "It's tough at first, but you learn that it's a business."

Being one of next summer's four Clippers restricted free agents and not feeling exactly indispensable, he will assuredly want to make up for lost time once he gets healthy. But will that fly on a team this loaded with scorers and playmakers?

"Nobody is going to want to play them," said Nuggets guard and former Clipper Darrick Martin. "They're going to be tough. Everyone just has to hope they don't get off to a good start and guys begin worrying about where they're going to be next year."

Which translates to worrying about individual stats that look good in negotiations. It would, of course, be much worse without the addition of Miller and 6-foot-7 Yugoslav rookie Marko Jaric, point guards who are committed defenders and unselfish passers.

"Guys are cutting to the basket more because they know these guys will find them," says center Michael Olowokandi, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. "I've never seen point guards compete over who is going to make the nicest pass."

That sort of attitude is contagious, but it's a delicate virus, easily wiped out by a string of defeats. Coach Al Gentry still faces a tough challenge in distributing minutes and convincing everyone they have a shot at being part of the team's future, regardless of their contract situation. Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson, Odom and Eric Piatkowski will battle for the 96 nightly minutes at the swing positions. That's 24 a piece, split evenly, and that's not enough.

Odom, Elton Brand, Maggette and Miller, meanwhile, will all want to shine in hopes of attracting a fat offer sheet as restricted free agents. Olowokandi will be unrestricted, which means he can walk without the Clippers getting anything, something that is sure to inspire trade talk during the season if the Clippers aren't rolling. Behind Jaric and Miller are Odom and Dooling, both of whom have point-guard aspirations. Melvin Ely and Chris Wilcox are the lottery-pick power forwards hoping to see time behind Brand.

As if that isn't enough, free agent power forward Mike Batiste has had such a strong training camp he could make the roster. It might help if Sterling had any sort of rapport with his players, but the day I visited camp he was in the College of the Desert's tiny gym but neither greeted nor spoke to any of the players. I'm told that's the norm.

It's hard not to get giddy about this team's potential. The Clippers' promise never has been greater. But then the franchise's history comes to mind, putting the excitement in check to avoid looking foolish. It's an emotional limbo. It's not ideal. It's not necessarily fatal, either. It is, without question, why the entire league will watch the Clippers closely every step of the way this season.

Ric Bucher is a senior writer for ESPN the Magazine.