Our exit interview series on the 2024 Clippers continues with fan favorite role player Terance Mann.
Basic Information
Height: 6’5
Weight: 215 pounds
Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward
Age: 27
Years in NBA: 5
Key Regular Season Stats: 8.8 points, 1.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 0.6 turnovers in 25.0 minutes per game across 75 games played (71 starts) on 51.5/34.8/83.2 (2.7 3PA and 1.3 FTA) shooting splits (61.5 True Shooting)
Postseason Stats: 9.3 points, 1.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.8 turnovers in 31.2 minutes per game across 6 games played (all starts) on 41.3/45.5/100 (3.7 3PA and 1.3 FTA attempts) shooting splits (56.4 True Shooting)
Expectations
Coming into this season, Terance was expected to have a more stable role than he did in 2023, when he played fairly consistently but was at times the backup four, the starting point guard, and all roles in between. As always, Terance was expected to bring his usual mix of energy, defense, slashing, and reluctant three-point shooting. At age 27 and with four years under his belt, there was no longer the thought of a “breakout” season, but instead more a focus on steadiness and consistency.
Reality
While his play was up and down at times, Terance was a model of reliability in one way, which was availability. After two consecutive seasons of playing 81 games, Terance “slipped” to 75 this year, second-most on the team behind Norm Powell. Terance’s stats were also shockingly similar to his 2023 numbers, with virtually no changes to points, rebounds, or steals despite playing a couple more minutes per game.
Still, it was a nice season for Terance, who entered the starting lineup early in the year after the disastrous Russ-Harden-PG-Kawhi starting experiment was mercifully ended, and never left. He was an integral part of the Clippers’ midseason surge with his ability to play without the ball, add pace in transition, and take on tough defensive assignments on the perimeter. After shooting 15-77 from deep across the first two months of the season, Terance shot over 40% from three in each of the last four months. As always, he was frustratingly reluctant to shoot at times, but in games where he let it fly, he made the Clippers’ starting lineup very tough to guard.
That strong play carried over into the playoffs. Terance’s numbers actually dipped compared to the 2023 postseason, but those box score stats don’t account or defense. And now, with the NBA Finals starting tonight, nobody in the playoffs has done a better job against Luka Doncic than Terance Mann. Terance hounded Luka up the court, bodied him away from his favorite spots, and didn’t fall for almost any of Luka’s myriad of fakes and hesitations. It was masterful defense, and gave the Clippers a real chance in that series even with their offense severely underperforming.
In general, 2024 was just another solid season for Terance, who has solidified himself as a 5th starter/key bench caliber player on a contending level team. He’s rarely going to score 20 points, but he does most of the little things you want from those role players, and he does them consistently.
Future with Clippers
Terance has one year left on his two-year, $22M deal, a very nice contract considering Terance’s production and reliability. Terance is one of the few players on the roster with positive trade value, but considering the Clippers already have their stars and need depth, trading Terance would seem unlikely. Realistically, he’s quite likely to be back on the Clippers in 2025, and if anything, might get an extension this summer to keep him on the team for the rest of his prime. A beloved role player, fans would certainly be upset if Terance were to go anywhere, but fortunately should not have to worry.
