Clippers' starting lineup battle lies between expected and shocking

Derrick Jones Jr., LA Clippers
Derrick Jones Jr., LA Clippers | Eakin Howard/GettyImages

With one starter departed over the summer, and three possible choices to pair alongside Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, head coach Tyronn Lue initially had limited time to narrow down the last two nominees.

According to Tomer Azarly, John Collins was thought to be the power forward, and the competition to be settled between Bradley Beal and his fellow guard teammates. Beal ultimately had to win the job over Kris Dunn, who was next to Harden for 58 games last season.

However, shockingly, there was no battle in the back court, as on the first day of training camp, Lue shared that Beal would be the starter. This is the right choice, given his talent, even if some fans believe he would be better suited to a bench role.

That said, Collins does, in fact, have a challenge to win, and it is against Derrick Jones Jr., as recently reported by Justin Russo.

Tyronn Lue should use the opposite ideology he used with Bradley Beal on the starting power forward

Although Kris Dunn may be the experienced choice, due to the defensive complements he provided for James Harden last season, Tyronn Lue prioritized talent and selected Bradley Beal to run the backcourt alongside the former MVP. This is the riskier option, as they have never been teammates, but it is reasonable and can be switched if things do not seem right early in the season.

Thus, with this talent-based logic, John Collins would complete the starting five. Yet, when asked about the Wake Forest product, Lue resorted to the oldest excuse in the book.

This typically means there is more decision-making that still needs to be done, and that he does not want to give anything away weeks before the regular season, so that the Utah Jazz can begin preparing for their first matchup of the season.

Furthermore, Justin Russo mentioned via X(formerly Twitter) that the final spot will go to Collins or Derrick Jones Jr. The pick would be clear, but Jones Jr. is too good a defender for Lue to simply roll with who has more talent, like he did with Beal.

In this case, Lue should stick with defense and appoint Jones Jr. There is already enough talent with Beal next to three stars; therefore, there needs to be someone elusive, agile, and athletic, who will exceed the hustle-meter on every possession he plays throughout the year.