LA Clippers lineups: Examining projected depth chart for start of season

The LA Clippers start their season on Thursday, and have an underrated roster.

They don’t have their best player in Kawhi Leonard out there, nor do they have a proven and established quality big man on the floor in Serge Ibaka. That being said, they made the Western Conference Finals last year without them, and continue to have good depth on this team. It’s possible that Ibaka will play, but wise to not count on it.

Kawhi will likely not be back for a long time, but this roster has enough depth to hold it down in his absence.

The LA Clippers will have a starting lineup that will win a lot of games, even with the injuries they’re facing.

Based off of what Ty Lue has said about what he expects to have as the starting lineup, the starting lineup is likely going to be:

PG/SG: Eric Bledsoe

PG/SG: Reggie Jackson

SF: Paul George

PF: Marcus Morris Sr.

C: Ivica Zubac

The Clippers are playing the Warriors in their first game. The Dubs like to use small lineups often, and James Wiseman will not be playing in the game for them. So if the Clips choose to go with a small lineup, expect the team to take Zubac out of that group and add a Terance Mann or Nicolas Batum.

If the above lineup is what the Clips open with, then the second team will likely look a little like this:

PG: Jay Scrubb

SG/SF: Terance Mann

SG/SF: Luke Kennard

SF/PF: Nicolas Batum

C: Isaiah Hartenstein

Or, the Clippers could go with Justise Winslow running the point, as he’s played point guard in this league before. Having Scrubb lead the second team as the ballhandler may be a little too much on the second-year player. They could possibly not even go with a point guard for their typical second lineup, due to having many other backcourt options in general that could help make the offense go without being primary ballhandlers in their careers.

Winslow could also be in this lineup over Kennard to provide some size, but Lue and the Clippers like Kennard’s shot, and I don’t blame them.

The remaining players are backup wings. Of course Winslow is included (and he can play point guard and power forward too). Rookies Keon Johnson and Brandon Boston Jr. have upside being able to learn behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and Amir Coffey is another player on the wing who the Clippers will keep trying to develop.

A lot of back-up wings for a team that relies heavily on the production from players on the wing. It’s a great strategy, and great roster for this year. This is already a competitive roster, and it’s only going to get better as the season goes on and we get healthier.