LA Clippers-Warriors: What to watch for in preseason opener
By Tom West
Who starts at small forward?
Luc Mbah a Moute played at small forward with the regular starters at the LA Clippers’ open scrimmage. But at the start of training camp, Doc said the starting small forward spot was, “wide open.”
Even though there’s a good chance nothing will change and Luc will continue as the starter, it’s no guarantee if Doc is going to give himself more than a week to choose his starting three for the 2016-17 season. That seems like a fairly safe assumption.
While Luc easily offers the best perimeter defense of any option available, he lacks the three-point shot to adequately space the floor to any kind of extent. With just 13 made threes in all of 2015-16, it’s easy to see why Doc is considering his two-way options, despite work that Luc is putting into his corner three this summer. At this point of his career at 30 years old, though, Luc’s three-point ceiling is never going to be that high.
Then there are the other options: Wesley Johnson and the new summer signing, Alan Anderson.
Johnson, a hot shooter at the start of the season who struggled with plantar fasciitis (which can cause serious pain in a player’s heels and feet) and cooled down as the months went by, is a relatively streaky player from both ends of the floor. He isn’t going to handle the ball and create space or shots for himself, but he showed bursts of solid defense last season, and if he can shoot above 36 percent from three next season, he puts himself in the starter conversation.
Anderson is similar, at least in regards to being more of a two-way player than Luc. He’s a 34.5 percent three-point shooter for his career and is a better ball handler, driver, and attacker off closeouts than Johnson, possibly giving him a better shot at making the starting lineup. As a capable defender as well (something Doc has praised in camp), Anderson is someone to look out for.
Even if Luc goes ahead as the starter against the Warriors, pay attention to how Doc manages his small forward rotation and hands out minutes at the three.