We’re only four games into the season and the Clippers have used a ton of bodies in Ty Lue’s rotation. Each game has called for a different style, and the Clips have been flexible with their available cast of characters. Yet, weird lineups and odd minutes distributions have made for some uninspiring basketball, leaving me with more questions than answers regarding what’s to come as the season progresses. Though it’s still early, I’ll touch on a few things that have my attention. Let’s talk about them.

Clippers’ Center Rotation

For as consistently well as Ivica Zubac has played over his years of holding down a share in L.A.’s center rotation, the longest-tenured Clipper has yet to be fully unleashed. We’ve banged the drums for 25-30 minutes per game from Zu, but the reality is that he’ll more often than not hang around 20, which is a trend we should expect to continue for another season.

The Clips aren’t lineup-proof. We’ve already seen this year how Golden State’s personnel caused the Clippers to downsize for the majority of that opening game, something that was commonplace last postseason. Also, Ty Lue loves a small-ball lineup, plain and simple. Nic Batum and Marcus Morris Sr. had their share of minutes at the five a year ago, and Morris Sr. has already spent a couple of games dealing with the likes of Steven Adams. Even Justise Winslow has snuck in some brief action as the small-ball center in the limited minutes he played. Finally, there’s now legitimate depth at the five spot (when healthy). Serge Ibaka will be back potentially soon to play back-up to Zu, while Isaiah Hartenstein has had an extremely encouraging start to the season, giving the Clippers an interesting trio of true centers. 

The trio will be interesting enough for me to ask the question: How does the center rotation shape out once Serge Ibaka returns? The short answer —  Ibaka consumes the second center minutes, and Isaiah Hartenstein heads back to the end of the bench. But should that be the case? Probably so. But can the Clippers depend on Ibaka to perform well enough at this point of his career following back surgery? There’s no way of knowing, and Isaiah Hartenstein has been good enough through the opening part of the season to carve out some action in each game going forward. Nevertheless, that’ll be a bridge Ty Lue will have to cross once he gets there.

Awkward Fits

Marcus Morris Sr.’s historically great 3-point shooting during the 2020-21 season was the perfect complement to Kawhi Leonard’s improved passing out of the post, Zubac’s short-rolls, and Paul George’s pick-and-roll passing. Morris Sr.’s touch should still be an essential piece of a Kawhi-less starting unit that utilizes Eric Bledsoe’s downhill, drive-and-kick ability. However, I still get the feeling that Nic Batum is a better fit for the opening lineup. Additionally, Mook’s post iso’s feel crowded and less necessary now with Patrick Beverley’s departure for the worse-shooting Bledsoe, who’s often being sagged off by defenders. As far as the bench goes, the unit has thus far shown a willingness to constantly move and flow in a half-court setting, making Mook’s fit there awkward as well.

So, what’s Marcus Morris Sr.’s best use on this team? The question may be a reaction to the bad early-season returns in the small sample size we’ve gotten with Mook this season, as the knee issue has left him looking a step slow on both ends of the court. Still, the question seems valid.

Justise Winslow

After another injury-related DNP on Wednesday night, Mook’s knee has now kept him out of back-to-back games and opened the door for Justise Winslow to see extended minutes. Winslow has been okay in his appearances but has yet to make a case for being an every-night rotational guy for this Clippers team. To be fair, his defense has been fine, which was never really a question entering the season. But he’s offered very little on offense — Moe Harkless and Rodney McGruder-esque.

Outside of some occasional downhill attacks, he hasn’t brought much to the table. I’m on board with allowing him to get comfortable early in the season, but if it’s going to come at the expense of Terance, Luke, or any other capable player’s minutes, it might need to be a short-lasting experiment.

The season is long, so it’s hard to justify overreactions about the on-court product after just four games. Let’s instead monitor what happens over the next week or so before jumping to any conclusions. Once we are 10 games or so in, our complaints about the Clippers’ play and Ty Lue’s rotation might be a whole lot more valid.

11 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments