As they have only won a third of their games, losing six of nine contests, the LA Clippers do not have much chemistry. This is not entirely surprising in a new group. Yet, two players who have been on opposing sidelines up until this season and have shown an exceptional connection are Ivica Zubac and John Collins. Thus, Tyronn Lue leaning on these two to help the Clippers thrive will headline their 2025-26 bounce-back story.
Although one starts, and the other comes off the bench, Lue has sensed some harmony in their time shared. Last night, a nice alley-oop from Collins, in the post area, was thrown to Zubac, which he converted, as expected, in the highly efficient fashion he is known for.
At home, plays like this encourage the crowd, and on the road, they silence them, while sparking momentum in both cases, all of which the Clippers need to get back to .500 in the win-loss column.
Starting John Collins is the best way for Tyronn Lue to turn a losing record into a winning one
According to the two-man lineup metrics on the NBA's official website, John Collins and Ivica Zubac have played together for only 84 minutes across nine games. This is an average of 9.3 per contest, which is not enough.
By themselves, Collins has been the best power forward on the team, and evidently, Zubac has been the best center. So, the apparent logic would be to start them and play them to the maximum.
However, Lue has had Collins running more with the bench, as 131 of his 221 minutes this season have been next to the backup center, Brook Lopez, with the remaining six alongside the recently drafted first-round pick, Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
Furthermore, Lue should show more trust and reluctance in the frontcourt duo of Collins and Zubac. They will willingly embrace the flashiness in their chemistry and give their best effort not to allow a rebound to slip into the opponents' direction.
Additionally, Lue should have plays drawn up in the high post where the ball is designed to go into the basket from Collins, or a pass to the Croatian star, traditionally, and when proper positioning is acquired, through an alley-oop.
That said, these two have some of the best chemistry on the team, and Lue should take advantage of it, especially now, while the vibes are low and the need for a win is through the roof.