The Clippers face the Warriors at home in a win-or-go home game that will determine whether they get a chance at a playoff spot or start their offseason a little earlier than normal.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, AM 1150

Projected Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Brandin Podziemski – Gui Santos – Draymond Green – Kristaps Porzingis

Clippers: Darius Garland – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Brook Lopez

Injuries

Warriors: Draymond Green Probable (Back), Quinten Post Questionable (Foot), Jimmy Butler Out (Knee), Moses Moody Out (Knee)

Clippers: Isaiah Jackson Questionable (Ankle), Yanic Konan Niederhauser Out (Foot), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

The Big Picture

The Clippers got to their 15^th winning season in a row in the 82^nd game of the season, but were not able to get out of the 9-10 play-in bracket. This will be the Clippers’ second time in the play-in, and the first time in the 9^th spot (they were in the 7^th spot in 2022, infamously losing both play-in games to fall out of the playoffs entirely). The Clippers are coming in mostly healthy, with Isaiah Jackson as the lone player on the injury report not ruled out with a season-ending injury. They have homecourt advantage, and will be against a team that is decidedly less talented than they are. But we have seen the Clippers lose to bad teams all year (outside of that one stretch in January), and the Warriors will be every bit as desperate as the Clippers. They need to come ready to fight.

The Antagonist

The Warriors have been in the play-in a few times before, and are certainly no stranger to elimination games. However, this is not the Warriors of yore. Steph has been incredible this season, but only returned recently from a long absence and is probably not 100% yet. Draymond Green has shown his age this season, finally slipping from being one of the NBA’s top defenders as he enters his mid-30s. Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala are long gone. Still, the Warriors have a stable of competent veterans and youngsters, and they can beat almost any team on the nights Curry gets hot. The Clippers just have to make sure that doesn’t happen. Easier said than done.

Notes

Who Guards Steph: The Clippers have mostly utilized Kris Dunn to guard Steph Curry since Dunn has been a Clipper, and Dunn has done as well as could be expected in that difficult assignment. However, the Clippers put Derrick Jones Jr. on Steph in the game on Sunday. Was it just to see a different look? Do they like Dunn as a roamer more since the Warriors don’t have another great scoring option? Was it just to throw the Warriors off Dunn being the primary defender on Steph again? It could be one or none of those reasons, but I thought DJ getting the Steph assignment was interesting, and I’m curious to see who takes on Steph in this one.

Bench Scoring: The Clippers won the game against the Warriors on Sunday largely due to their bench, which severely overpowered the Warriors’ reserves. Bennedict Mathurin, Jordan Miller, and even Bogdan Bogdanovic (probably won’t play tonight but still) all went off, and the Warriors just did not have many answers on defense. The Warriors play smart, connected basketball, but Mathurin and Miller should be able to get into the paint consistently against Golden State, and as long as they play calm and make the right plays, easy looks should result on offense.

Feed Kawhi: It’s a logical strategy to feed your best player in a do-or-die game, but the Clippers going to Kawhi early and often is even more obvious in this one. Without Jimmy Butler, the Warriors have no wing with the size, quickness, and strength to guard Kawhi one-on-one, or probably even bother him much. If Kawhi starts cooking, the Warriors will have to throw multiple defenders at him, and that should give the Clippers a bunch of open threes. As long as they make a good percentage of those, their offense will probably be quite potent.

Clippers vs Warriors: Play In Preview
Robert Flom

The Clippers will close their rollercoaster 2026 season against the rival Golden State Warriors in a contest that is probably meaningless but that they need to try to win just in case the Blazers drop their game at the same time.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 5:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, KTLA, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Brandin Podziemski – Gui Santos – Draymond Green – Kristaps Porzingis

Clippers: Darius Garland – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Brook Lopez

Injuries

Warriors: Steph Curry Probable (Ankle), Seth Curry Questionable (Adductor), Quinten Post Doubtful (Foot), Jimmy Butler Out (Knee), Moses Moody Out (Knee)

Clippers: Isaiah Jackson Out (Ankle), Yanic Konan Niederhauser Out (Foot), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

The Big Picture

The Clippers, perhaps fittingly, were thoroughly outplayed by the Blazers on Friday night in the most important game of the season for either team. The Blazers were quicker, bigger, more energetic, and more forceful despite being a younger and more inexperienced team than the veteran-laden Clippers. The Clippers’ center issues were also apparent; they got a monster game from Brook Lopez, but were blitzed in the bench minutes with John Collins and Nic Batum at center. The Clippers didn’t really have much of a chance of any kind of postseason run even with Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Isaiah Jackson healthy, but without them, the only center on the roster being the limited Lopez makes it tough for this team to get anything going inside. Ultimately, this season can be broken down into three segments: the horrendous 6-21 start, the incredible 20-7 turnaround midseason, and the mediocre 15-12 close. And now, at the end, they are who they are – a middling .500 team.

The Antagonist

The Warriors have had a season every bit as disastrous as the Clippers. The Warriors were also expected to be a highly competitive playoff team after making the second round last year and reloading much of their same roster, but the season-ending injury to Jimmy Butler and an extended second-half absence from Steph Curry doomed them to a below-.500 season and a 10^th seed. Like the Clippers, the Warriors have some nice young players (Podziemski, Santos, Moses Moody, Quinten Post, Will Richard) but no obvious blue-chip prospects, and are heavily invested in an aging and injury-prone core. The big difference is the Warriors have all of their own picks, and it certainly seems like they will go after big fish this offseason. But, for right now, they are just a meh 10^th seed that has no hopes of a playoff run even if they do make it through the play-in tournament.

Notes

Winning Record Streak on the Line: The Clippers have had a winning record for 14 seasons in a row, by far the longest ongoing streak in the NBA. Their last season below .500 was all the way back in 2010-2011, Blake Griffin’s rookie season, when they went 32-50. The Clippers have had two seasons since where they’ve barely sneaked out winning records at 42-40 (in 2017-18 and 2021-22), and it would be a point of pride for them to get to that mark this year with a win. Even if nothing else is on the line, that franchise record is a really cool mark that I want the team to keep going.

Go Kings Go: The only way this game matters in the actual standings is if the Kings beat the Blazers, as in that case the Clippers would tie the Blazers at 42-40 and move to 8^th through tiebreakers. The Blazers will be playing at home and the Kings have nothing to play for, but they’ve been surprisingly frisky in recent weeks, so the chances of them winning aren’t quite zero. The Clippers have to hope the Kings are feisty again tomorrow and don’t lean as far into the tank as some other teams have done recently (the Grizzlies played 5.5 players in their loss on Friday).

Clippers vs Warriors Preview: Last Game of the Season
Robert Flom

The Clippers are playing on the second night of a back-to-back on top of travel and going on the road, but the good news is that star midseason acquisition Darius Garland is all set to make his Clippers’ debut.

Game Information

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California

When: 7:00

How to Watch: Peacock, NBC Sports Network, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Darius Garland – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Brook Lopez

Warriors: Brandin Podziemski – Moses Moody – De’Anthony Melton – Gui Santos – Draymond Green

Injuries

Clippers: John Collins Questionable (Neck), Darius Garland Probable (Toe), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

Warriors: Steph Curry Out (Knee), Kristaps Porzingis Out (Illness), Jimmy Butler Out (Knee), Seth Curry Out (Sciatica), Will Richard Out (Knee), Gary Payton II Questionable (Ankle)

Notes

Garland Playing: All of the reporting is that Darius Garland will play tonight, meaning he will have just over 20 games with the Clippers this season. It’s possible Garland comes off the bench, as I’d guess he has a minutes restriction tonight, but considering he’s going to start sooner or later, giving him more times with the starters makes sense. I doubt he plays more than like 28 minutes but I think he will start tonight.

Collins Questionable: John Collins came back last night from a couple game absence and looked really good, but unfortunately left the game in the 4th quarter after taking some whiplash. Considering he missed games with a neck injury, Collins possibly re-damaging his neck means I’d be a bit surprised if he played tonight. It’s too bad, as it seemed like the Clippers might actually be fully healthy. Hopefully I’m wrong and John is able to suit up alongside Darius.

Clippers vs Warriors Game Thread: Garland’s First Game
Robert Flom

The Clippers are coming off a blowout loss and now have to face one of their most lethal foes of the past 15 years in Golden State and Steph Curry.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Peacock, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Moses Moody – Jimmy Butler – Draymond Green – Quinten Post

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Brook Lopez

Injuries

Warriors: Al Horford Questionable (Back), Seth Curry Out (Back)

Clippers: Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hamstring), Ivica Zubac Out (Ankle), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)

The Big Picture

The Clippers’ good vibes came crashing to a screeching halt on Saturday night. The Clips were blown out by a scorching hot Celtics team, undone as much by the Celtics’ shotmaking as by their own mistakes and limitations on defense. Worse, Derrick Jones Jr., who had only been back for a few games since missing six weeks with a knee injury, left the game with an injury to the same knee – which has now been reported to be an identical issue that will likely keep him out at least another six weeks. DJJ’s athleticism on both ends of the court have been hugely important for the Clippers in his 1.5 years on the team, and the Clips will miss him a lot. The Clippers just can’t seem to get all of their key guys healthy together at once, making building consistent rotations and rhythm difficult.

The Antagonist

The Warriors have had an odd season. They’re 19-17 and have not ever been much above or below a .500 record, but have cycled through numerous different rotations and have dealt with a lot of trade rumors. Surprisingly for the Steph Curry Warriors, Golden State is not a good offensive team, ranking just 20^th in the NBA. The Warriors are, however, excellent on defense, placing 5^th in the league and just a hair behind the 3^rd place Heat. Steph has had another awesome, age-defying season, Jimmy Butler has been pretty good, and the young guys have mostly been fine. The issue is that none of their youngsters look like true difference makers, and Draymond Green has declined significantly on both ends of the court. The Warriors are solid, and will be in the playoff picture barring a Steph injury, but it’s tough to view them as a contender unless they make a big move.

Notes

Harden Slumping From Deep: The toll of carrying the Clippers for the first six weeks of the season seems to be weighing on James Harden. The Beard has shot 1-6 from three in each of the past three games, and a lot of those misses have not been close. In the four games before that, Harden shot 13-38 from three – a lot better, but still not great. Outside of taking fewer threes, Harden’s defense has gotten even worse; he looks like he’s moving in cement on defense most of the time. The Clippers don’t need him to be great on defense, and he probably won’t shoot as well from deep as he did to start the season, but the Clippers do need for him to be sharper to continue moving up the standings. I think he will be, and that this is just a classic mid-season lull. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Will Zu Start: Somewhat shockingly, Ivica Zubac came off the bench on Saturday in his return to action. He apparently volunteered this decision to Ty Lue, as the Clippers had been playing well with Brook Lopez starting and Zu did not want to upset the apple cart. Well, Brook was atrocious against the Celtics, and while Zu wasn’t great himself, he was clearly a more impactful player. I appreciate Zu’s unselfishness, but I think moving him back into the starting lineup is for the best.

Clippers vs Warriors Preview: Getting Back on Track
Robert Flom

The Clippers will look to extend their first winning streak of the season to three games against their division rivals, the Golden State Warriors.

Game Information

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

When: 8:00 PM PT

How to Watch: NBC, Peacock, KEIB 1150

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Bogdan Bogdanovic – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Steph Curry – Brandin Podziemski – Jimmy Butler – Jonathan Kuminga – Draymond Green

Injuries

Clippers: Bradley Beal Out (Back), Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring), Kobe Sanders Out (Knee)

Warriors: Al Horford Probable (Toe), De’Anthony Melton Out (Knee), Alex Toohey Out (Knee)

The Warriors are playing quite well right now, making this game the biggest test for the Clippers of the young season.

Clippers vs Warriors Game Thread
Robert Flom

The Clippers’ last game of the 2025 regular season is also their most important, as it will determine whether or not they make the playoffs or enter the play-in tournament. Their opponent, the Golden State Warriors, is in a similar position, making this perhaps the highest stakes regular season game of the entire NBA season regardless of team.

Game Information

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California

When: 12:30 PM PT

How to Watch: ESPN, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 1150

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Steph Curry – Brandin Podziemski – Moses Moody – Jimmy Butler – Draymond Green

Injuries

Clippers: Nic Batum Out (Groin), Patty Mills Out (Illness), Seth Lundy Out (Two-way)

Warriors: Gary Payton II Out

The Big Picture

Despite how well the Clippers have played over the last month (and really, most of the season), a lot is riding on this last game. A win would place the Clippers in the playoffs proper and give them either the 4 or 5 seed. A loss would open the door for the Clippers to fall all the way to 7 and the play-in tournament. The Clippers were not at their sharpest in the win over the Kings on Friday night, but did just enough to win. They will need to be much better to beat a Warriors team for whom this game is every bit as important as it is for the Clippers.

The Antagonist

The Warriors have been one of the few teams in the NBA that’s been as hot as the Clippers over the second half of the season. The Jimmy Butler trade reinvigorated the previously listless Dubs, giving them another creator and scorer on offense to help Steph Curry while also strengthening their perimeter defense and rebounding. The Warriors have had some bad losses, but in general have played quite well on both ends of the court for almost two months, pushing Steph into All-NBA First Team talks and Draymond Green in the center of the Defensive Player of the Year discussions. Unfortunately for opposing teams, both claims have merit – it turns out that Steph still looks unstoppable when he has enough help, and Draymond remains probably the most well-rounded defender in the game. Add in a competent supporting cast and you have a highly dangerous team that can win in multiple ways. You hate to see it.

Notes

Winning the Rebounding Battle: Despite playing small much of the time, the Warriors rank 4^th in offensive rebounding rate in the NBA. When Looney plays, he’s an excellent offensive rebounder, and their wings like Podziemski, Moody, and Kuminga are all effective at crashing the offensive glass as well. The Clippers, on the other hand, are 1^st in defensive rebound rate, largely thanks to the efforts of Ivica Zubac. It’s even more important to keep the Warriors off the offensive glass than most teams, as offensive rebounds for the Warriors turn into threes for Steph Curry (and to a much lesser extent, Buddy Hield). If the Clippers can hold the Warriors to a single possession on a regular basis, they will be in a strong position to win this game.

The Turnover Battle: Similarly, the Warriors are better than the Clippers at taking care of the basketball. Normally the Steph Curry Warriors are very high in turnover rate, flinging the ball all over the court (while also nearly always leading the league in assist rate, as they are this year). However, they have lowered that turnover rate this year, with Jimmy Butler being a stabilizing influence. The Clippers rank 23^rd in turnover rate, the worst of any playoff team in the NBA. Again, giving the Warriors fastbreak opportunities is death – Steph is simply too good in those situations. The Clippers’ turnovers have been a bugaboo for them all year, and it would be a shame for that weakness to bite them in this critical game.

Clippers vs Warriors Preview: For All the Marbles
Robert Flom

The Clippers, coming off one of their best wins of the season, will take on a slipping Warriors team without Steph Curry. Admiral Ackbar voice: it’s a trap!

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Dennis Schroder – Buddy Hield – Andrew Wiggins – Draymond Green – Trayce Jackson-Davis

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Terance Mann Out (Finger), Kobe Brown Out (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Warriors: Steph Curry Out (Knee), Gary Payton II Out (Calf), Draymond Green Questionable (Back)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have continued to hold serve without Kawhi Leonard. Their defense has been in the 4-9 range most of the season, and currently sits at 5^th. Their offense has been in the 19 to 25 range much of the year, and now places in at 21^st. That gives the Clippers the 11^th best Net Rating in the NBA – not bad for a team that has played 30 games without their theoretical best player. The Clippers’ depth also remains damaged, as both Terance Mann and Kobe Brown are still out, but the Clippers have been able to survive the lack of forwards with strong defensive play, led by Ivica Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kris Dunn. With the news Kawhi will miss the three road games after this one, his max games played for the season is 48 – and his actual number will likely be well under that. If the Clippers make the postseason, as they are on course to do, it would be a huge accomplishment.

The Antagonist

The Warriors’ 10-2 start seems like a distant memory. They have gone 5-12 since then, and are currently hanging out in a three-way tie for 8^th in the Western Conference. The Warriors have slipped on both sides of the ball, placing at 9^th on defense and 15^th on offense. Golden State has received a strong bounce back campaign from Andrew Wiggins, but young guys such as Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody have not taken expected steps forward, and offseason acquisitions Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson have cooled after hot starts. At the end of the day, the Warriors are still very reliant on Steph Curry on offense and Draymond Green on defense, and those guys are not the same players they were 7-10 seasons ago. The Warriors are still dangerous, but they don’t look like the contending-level team they appeared to be early this year.

Notes

No Let Down: You may have noticed up above, but Steph Curry is out for this game. That changes this contest from “tough” to “trap game”. The Warriors have plenty of talent without Steph, especially if Draymond plays, but any time a Hall of Famer is out opponents tend to relax. The Clippers can’t do that. They are not talented enough themselves to relax on any given night and have been very good at taking care of business against lesser teams this year. Without Steph, the Warriors are firmly in that category. If the Clippers are focused, play with energy, and reach their usual level on defense, this should be a win. They just can’t have any slippage because Steph isn’t squaring off against them.

Norm Powell, Resurgent: Norm Powell had a bit of a slump in late November and through early December. That slump, however, appears to be over. In his last four games, Norm has scored 29, 29, 28, and 29 points, and all but the 28-point outing in the loss to the Mavs were highly efficient performances. The threes are falling, the rim attacks are succeeding, and free throws are being drawn. With Gary Payton II out, the Warriors are down their best guard defender. Norm should have an open season on whoever is guarding him, and I’d expect the Clippers to feed him early and often in this one.

Clippers vs. Warriors Preview: No Steph in LA
Robert Flom

The Clippers will try to win back-to-back games at home in a difficult contest against the West-leading Warriors.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, KTLA

Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Lindy Waters III – Andrew Wiggins – Draymond Green – Trayce Jackson Davis

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Warriors: De’Anthony Melton Out (Knee), Kevon Looney Out (Illness)

I was out traveling most of the day so no time to do much of a preview. Comment below!

Clippers vs Warriors Game Thread: A Tough One
Robert Flom

The Clippers are coming off their first win of the season, but now have a brutal back to back traveling from Denver to the Bay to take on the red-hot Warriors.

Game Information

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California

When: 5:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal/FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Steph Curry – Andrew Wiggins – Jonathan Kuminga – Draymond Green – Trayce Jackson-Davis

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team)

Warriors: None

The Big Picture

The Clippers picked up their first win yesterday in a phenomenal victory on the road over the Nuggets. It wasn’t a perfect performance by the Clippers, not by a long shot, but it was an A-effort game, the likes of which the Clippers will need to hang in the Western Conference postseason picture without Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers’ offense has been extremely heavy on James Harden-Ivica Zubac pick and rolls with a steady diet of Norm Powell off-ball and second-side action plays, and despite the simplicity of a lot of the actions, the results have been good. Defense is where the Clippers have truly thrived, and there’s no reason to think they’ll tail off on that end any time soon.

The Antagonist

The Warriors come into this game on a high, having won their first two games by an insane 77 points. They have been unstoppable on offense and very good on defense, with Steve Kerr playing a 12-man rotation that leans large in the first unit and small in the second unit. They’ve done all this with Steph Curry being quite cold, largely because Buddy Hield has been on an incredible heater. All of this does come with one gigantic caveat: the Warriors’ first two games were against the Blazers and Jazz, who project to be the two worst teams in the West by far, and probably two of the worst seven or so teams in the NBA. Thus, their results must be taken with a large grain of salt. Still, they are playing well and have very good depth with a nice blend of vets and youngsters. And, of course, they still have Steph, who will presumably be the most feared shooter in the NBA until he retires.

Notes

The Backup Center Spot: Kai Jones played just four minutes against the Nuggets yesterday, as Ivica Zubac played 39 minutes to match Nikola Jokic and the Clippers went small with Nic Batum at center in the five remaining minutes. It will be interesting to see what the Clippers do against the Warriors, who don’t have any center like Jokic and do play small themselves on occasion. Jones hasn’t done much to distinguish himself early, but the Clippers’ small-ball units are also very, very small and don’t seem likely to be played in heavy doses. We will see if he plays more in this one, especially on the second night of a back to back, or if his minutes remain extremely limited.

Expanding the Rotation: Through two games, Ty Lue has strictly kept to a 10-man rotation, which he mentioned before the season. However, the Clippers are on a second night of a back-to-back and several key players logged heavy minutes against Denver. This is the first real chance for Ty Lue to go beyond his first 10 guys and look further down the roster, whether that be Bones Hyland, Jordan Miller, or Kobe Miller (the logical next three guys up). I’d love to see any of those players get a shot, especially over the struggling Kevin Porter Jr., but it seems unlikely Ty will go away from anyone this quickly, as he has mentioned his proclivity for 10-game sample sizes many times over the years.

Clippers vs Warriors Preview: First Back to Back
Robert Flom

The Clippers take on the Warriors in their first game of the 2025 preseason in tropical Hawaii.

Game Information

Where: Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, KTLA

Projected Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Brandin Podziemski – Jonathan Kuminga – Draymond Green – Trayce Jackson-Davis

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Terance Mann – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Warriors: Andrew Wiggins Out (Illness)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Doubtful (Knee), Trentyn Flowers Out (Wrist)

Notes

Who Starts: This is the biggest question for the Clippers entering preseason – and the regular season. With Kawhi out, only two starters are locked in: James Harden at point and Ivica Zubac in the middle. I’d be fairly surprised if Derrick Jones Jr. wasn’t another starter. That leaves two spots, with the likely candidates being Terance Mann, Norm Powell, and Nic Batum. Batum is the logical replacement for Kawhi, but the Clippers want to keep his minutes low and probably maintain his rotation spot to the second unit. They could start both Norm and Terance, but that would make them very, very small. There are other candidates to start, such as Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr., and Kobe Brown, so it is anyone’s guess as to who Ty Lue rolls out tonight.

The Bench Rotation: The players of that group who don’t start will probably figure into the Clippers’ second unit, but again, Lue has many options. Does Bones Hyland get any run alongside Dunn, who can make up for his defensive weaknesses? Is Amir Coffey the backup small forward/power forward, or does one of Jordan Miller or Kobe Brown grab that spot. Does Ty roll with a small-ball second unit, or does Kai Jones get the nod with Mo Bamba likely out? The game outcome doesn’t matter, but who gets the call earlier in the game during more legitimate playing situations is a good indication of what the Clippers’ coaching staff is thinking early in the preseason.

The Young Guys: While preseason is an opportunity for veterans to play their way into shape and for the coaching staff to implement plays and principles, its also a great opportunity for youngsters to show they can pass veterans and make an impact. The Clippers young guys – Kobe Brown, Jordan Miller, and Cam Christie (Flowers is out) – should all get real minutes in preseason. I’d like to see Kobe shoot the ball well and be able to stay in front of opposing players on defense. For Jordan, I’d love continued aggression driving to the rim and the ability to force turnovers. Cam might play the least of the three, but hopefully just looks like he belongs on the court with real NBA players.

The Training Camp Players: The Clippers have four players on their training camp roster who are not under contract with them for this season – Kai Jones, RayJ Dennis, Nate Darling, and Alondes Williams. The player that is the most likely to get real minutes is by far Jones, as he will presumably be the backup center with Mo Bamba out. The Clippers’ lack of depth at center is also why Jones is the favorite of these guys to get the Clippers’ final two-way spot. Still, even if these players only get a few minutes in the second half, it’s a chance to show off for the Clippers, other NBA teams, and even international squads. Usually nothing happens with such players, but every once in a while one pops, so it’s always fun to keep tabs on them.

Clippers vs Warriors 2025 Preseason Game 1 Preview
Robert Flom