What we learned from the LA Clippers’ loss to Houston

JaMychal Green needs to start

Outside of Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, JaMychal Green has been the LA Clippers’ most consistent bench player so far this season.

Through 11 games, Green is averaging 9.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 43.4 percent shooting from three-point range — making him the team’s most efficient shooter from range.

Against Houston, Green was great once again, recording 14 points and a team-high 14 rebounds while connecting on 4-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc.

That line looks especially good considering the player starting at his position, Patrick Patterson, failed to score and saw just four minutes of action.

Not only would Green’s three-point shooting give LA’s starting group a much-needed lift on offense, but his physicality in the paint on both ends of the floor gives him an edge over Patterson.

Maurice Harkless is also a candidate to start alongside Leonard and Paul George, once he presumably makes his debut Thursday night. He’s better defensively than Green and Patterson, but given his size, he may struggle to contain some of the bigger, more physical forwards like Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge and Anthony Davis.

A fully healthy Clippers squad likely includes one of Harkless or Green at the four, even once Landry Shamet returns. It’s probably best to start getting those guys starting reps as soon as possible so that they can mesh with George and Leonard better in the starting five.

A five-man group of Patrick Beverley, George, Leonard, Harkless/Green and Ivica Zubac is a terror defensively with more than enough offense to go around. And except for Beverley, not one of those guys stands below 6 feet 7 inches — giving LA plenty of size, length and positional versatility to work with.

Patterson has been fine in his starts, and his shooting from deep has been a welcome surprise, but his place in the starting five was never permanent.