ONTARIO — Not knowing any better, Anthony Bennett’s younger teammates labored over every signature they applied to the stacks of posters and other Agua Caliente Clippers gear that needed signing at Thursday’s media day, writer’s cramp quickly setting in.

Having been through the routine before, Bennett kept his signature short – “A-B-t-t, next one” – speeding through the process without so much as a pit stop in Cramp City.

“My first signature was pretty long, but someone said, ‘You need to shorten that up so much,’” said Bennett, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2013, who this month joined the Clippers’ G League affiliate, which plays in Ontario and last year provided several players who helped “the big” Clippers stay competitive despite being hit hard by injuries.

Bennett, 25, has what feels like a full career’s worth of lessons to impart, dating to June 27, 2013. That’s when the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the basketball world, including the draftee, by making him the first Canadian picked No. 1 and the guy shouldered with helping the franchise rebuild after LeBron James took his talents to South Beach.

“Literally, probably 10 seconds before the pick, that’s when I found out,” said Bennett, who played one season at UNLV. “It was definitely a crazy experience, a crazy moment, and I definitely have to build back from that.”

He has to build back because, as a quick Internet search will remind you, Bennett is considered a bust.

He lasted only four NBA seasons, playing for four teams and averaging 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. He found his way to Turkey before returning to the United States, where the 6-foot-8 forward spent parts of three seasons with four G League teams before joining the Agua Caliente Clippers this month via a trade with the Maine Red Claws for James Michael McAdoo and a third-round draft pick.

“Everybody knows his story: First-round pick, went to Cleveland, got injured, didn’t pan out, everybody says, ‘Oh, one of the worst No. 1 picks ever in history,’” said Dee Brown, Agua Caliente’s general manager. “I like that. Because he has something to prove internally.”

Agua Caliente plans to make Bennett a key component of this season’s marketing campaign, said Bryan Meadows, the team’s president. They also want to create an environment where he can finally fulfill his promise, which is what Brown explained when he and Bennett first spoke by phone.

“All I want from you is that you understand that all that stuff, use it as a motivation or fuel, to not prove everybody wrong – to prove to yourself that you’re the person who really you know you are,” Brown said.

Bennett said he appreciated hearing that from Brown, because he agrees.

“(The goal is to) just get back to the league, stay there, and I feel like I have the ability to do so,” said Bennett, whose Jamaican roots come through when he speaks.

Always known as a banger, the 245-pound Bennett bettered his outside shooting at his recent G League stops (averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds along the way). He also had surgery to address sleep apnea, and the shoulder issues that plagued him early in his career are behind him.

Brown said he heard from people who’ve spent time around Bennett lately that he has the high basketball IQ and selfless, hard-working demeanor that the Clippers prize.

And Bennett said he still really loves basketball.

“Life happened, yes,” he said. “But the love for the game definitely hasn’t gone away. Ups and downs, but (I try to) keep a strong mind for myself and everybody around, because I feel like I can help and share my experience with younger kids. Related Articles Nuggets’ Jamal Murray ascending to stardom in these playoffs: “He’s built for the big shots”

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“And I feel like I’m still young; I just turned 25, my body feels nice. I just want to go out there and just play basketball. That’s when I have the most fun and when everybody around me has the most fun as well. I feel I just gotta get back to that. Just be free.”

BENCH BOOM

The L.A. Clippers got 85 points from their bench in Friday’s 133-113 victory at Houston, the most by reserves since Detroit’s bench Dec. 26, 2012. Despite a late rally, the Pistons lost that game to the Atlanta Hawks, 126-119, in double overtime, as Detroit Coach Lawrence Frank (now the Clippers’ President of Basketball Operations) stuck with his subs in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Lou Williams, who had 23 points off the bench for the Clippers on Friday, also was involved in that 2012 Pistons-Hawks contest – but he started, scoring 18 points for Atlanta.