Following multiple eye-opening outings, fans of the LA Clippers have been curious about how Bennedict Mathurin would do as the first option. Will an increase in ball dominancy lead to more buckets, or is it gonna cause him to crumble, making it hard for the Clippers to win? Well, Kawhi Leonard was ruled out against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which bumped up Mathurin’s responsibilities, and in conclusion, it is safe to say he put on an atrocious performance that no one wanted to witness.
With 14 points, six rebounds, five personal fouls, and six turnovers, and shooting splits of 28.6% from the field and 0% from a distance, Mathurin capitalized on the fact that he still needs time to grow.
The good thing is, Mathurin is only 23 years old. The Clippers can be patient with him and provide everything he needs to develop into the superstar the front office hopes he will be.
Bennedict Mathurin was not ready for the first-option pressure
A few hours' worth of heads-up was all Bennedict Mathurin received in being informed that he was the LA Clippers’ first option versus one of the league’s better defenses in the Minnesota Timberwolves. This was clearly not enough, as the former lottery pick looked clueless on both ends of the court.
Tyronn Lue had his game plan centered around Mathurin: get him the ball, give him screens, move around, and let him play to his strengths. This was the only way to get the most out of him, especially in a game that needed to be won.
Lue succeeded, as Mathurin had the highest usage on the team at 30.7%, but as you can probably tell, it did more damage than good.
In the postgame presser, Lue realized exactly what went wrong: Mathurin was forced into an extremely uncomfortable position. He just did not know how to duck the curveballs Minnesota was throwing at him, which is why he alone accounted for a third of the team’s turnovers and a chunk of the total fouls.
Ty Lue on what the Timberwolves did to take Bennedict Mathurin out of the game:
— Grant "Money" Mona (@Gmona48) February 27, 2026
"They pressured him, sped him up a little bit...the veers really hurt him in the pick and roll game...he wasn't able to attack." pic.twitter.com/94kil86ai5
In the future, though, he will have the film room and his in-game experience to look back on in preparation for similar duties.
That said, it is a tough pill to swallow, as Clipper Nation had to accept that Mathurin is still a work in progress. The best way to get there is through nights like the one he had against the Timberwolves, and by picking the brain of Kawhi Leonard.