Winners and losers of the LA Clippers’ preseason loss

Loser: Austin Rivers

While we can probably expect more of the same from Griffin, the same can’t be said about Rivers. Despite playing more minutes than any other player, Austin managed a mere 8 points on 25% shooting. He just looked off last night, especially on the offensive end. He missed both of his three-point attempts, recorded 2 turnovers, and was a -15 on the night.

While Rivers did show up on defense (4 steals), it wasn’t enough. As a starter this season, he’ll be relied on to be an efficient scorer, which he showed flashes of last year. He simply didn’t do enough to impress anyone.

The good news is that this likely isn’t indicative of his best work. Rivers, like everyone else, is still adjusting to the new rotations and teammates, and he might just take a little more time to adjust than everyone else. He’s worth the start for his defense and three-point ability alone though, and it’d take a lot to bench him.