Ultimately, I do see Beal starting as I’d like to win Q1 in these games and put pressure on the other teams to catch up and deal with our depth, especially with Lopez and CP3 able to generate good offense with a 2 man game in just about every half court set.

We’ll have a really good idea after 15 games (if we survive any injuries and/or Coach Lue’s tinkering).

Still preseason. Even Adam A’s postgame Clipper Talk was having audio issues.

Miller did look good in the starting unit, although he missed some easy ones.

Agreed DJJ is not a good fit with that starting unit. Scratch that combo.

If I were to accommodate the coaching staff’s preference for perimeter defense, then my starting 5 would be Harden-Dunn-Kawhi-Collins-Zu. I think in Dunn you get a natural perimeter defender in a natural guard position (as opposed to converting a forward into a perimeter defender). Watching Schroeder last night really go at DJJ and also use high screens, and seeing the rest of the defense sort of not know what to do on rotations convinced me that Dunn would be a better fit. Also, I don’t think Dunn will be any worse than DJJ from the 3 pt line (and he might be better this year from certain spots like the corner).

• DJJ – I just don’t see it with him as a starter. He got a lot of space and touches (intentionally so) and teams will simply try to play him off the court by letting him shoot or handle the ball. It’s not just about whether he can produce offensively, but it’s about the opportunity cost of Harden/Zu/Kawhi not getting enough quality touches or shot opportunities b/c of crowded spacing. Of the things that DJJ does well, Collins has those same skills and is just the better overall player. Defensively, the Clips are asking a guy who is essentially a small forward be the POA defender and also the guy who has to rotate back and close out to the 3 pt line when the dribble penetration leads to a kick out back to the line, or watch the backdoor while having eyes on the perimeter after a switch. It just doesn’t work. If you want a true perimeter defender in the starting lineup, Dunn would be the better choice. Dunn will fight through screens better and rotations become easier when you know it’s a guard that is eating innings against the better offensive players.
• Jordan Miller – thought he looked good as a fill in starter. Got a rebound, drew a foul, made some FTs, just missed a put back in Q1. Played well in Q3 as well. I thought he defended his position well and was able to move the ball.
• Brook Lopez – I love his commitment to shooting the 3. It’s how he played in Bud’s system in Milwaukee. That he’s willing to take those shots at a high volume changes the way teams guard the Clippers and opens up the spacing. It also gives LAC a home run hitter who is not a star. Defenisvely, he worked a lot harder in this game. At his age, he’s not going to bring it every night, but it’s good to see that he can bring it.
• John Collins – looks like a complete player at the forward position. He really should be a 30 min per game player.
• CP3 – Put on a point guard clinic. He unlocks the talent of the team and his passes have become much quicker as he has gotten older. It’s important that Harden not be on the floor when CP is on the floor. The ball should be in CP3’s hands if he’s going to get floor time.

Clippers have a lot of depth but they don’t have an offensive identity in that first unit. They should be establishing the Harden-Zu PnR and Kawhi on the elbow for every possession when they are in the set offensive and look to move the ball up the floor to get early offense whenever they can. Not seeing much of a focus there.