Five months into a Clippers season that has sometimes felt like a slog, feeling less like joy than a constant examination under a microscope of their own championship expectations, the impression imparted on forward Nicolas Batum after Monday's practice, the team's first with its three new additions, was notable.
New backup point guard Bones Hyland was a burst with the ball.
Backup center Mason Plumlee's size balanced the Clippers' rotations.
