Los Angeles Clippers Lineup Predictions for the 2024-25 NBA Season

THE

The Los Angeles Clippers

had a busy offseason. The All-Star forward

Paul George

and former MVP

Russell Westbrook

deceasedand the front office apparently re-engaged in a defensive identity firstby adding attackers

Derrick Jones Jr.

And

Nicolas Batum

and keep

Kris Dunn

.

Yes, this team is less talented than last year’s, but the pieces could fit better. The Clippers have two elite offensive options

Kawhi Leonard

And

James Harden

. Now, they will be surrounded by versatile and defensive-minded players.

On his podcast, George complained The Stars had to do the dirty work after losing Robert Covington. Westbrook’s impact on the Clippers was underestimated, but the Clippers didn’t need his play after acquiring Harden.

Now the Clippers have a clear hierarchy. They can center the offense around Leonard and Harden without worrying about splitting the workload among four star players.

So what will their rotation look like? Head coach Ty Lue will have plenty of options. Let’s break them down.

Los Angeles Clippers – Predicted Starting Lineup

Welcome to Clamp City

Harden, Leonard and Zubac will obviously remain in the starting lineup. Harden and Leonard are well-known superstars. Last season, the Clippers had a net rating of +7.2 with the duo on the field together. THE

Boston Celtics

And

Oklahoma City Thunder

were the only two teams to beat that pace.

Zubac is one of the most underrated big men in the game. According to Sports radarHe led the entire NBA in field goal percentage allowed.

Jones is a great choice for the wing position. His combination of size and athleticism makes him a versatile defender.

The Dallas Mavericks

He has consistently taken on the toughest defensive assignments. During the playoffs, he defended George for 170.6 partial possessions, limiting him to just 41.7 percent field goal shooting and 20.0 percent three-point shooting.

Mann was officially in the starting lineup last season. Lue could opt for Norman Powell or Kevin Porter Jr. if he wants a more dynamic scoring option. Still, sticking with Mann is the safest bet. Mann is a solid perimeter defender and a career 37.3 percent three-point shooter. He’s the perfect guard partner for Harden.

Los Angeles Clippers – Projected Bench

Norman Powell is the source of a glut of backyard talent

The Clippers face a logjam at guard with Dunn, Powell, Porter and Bones Hyland all vying for minutes.

Powell has finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting for two consecutive seasons. The 31-year-old shot an impressive 43.5 percent from three-point range last season. Without George and Westbrook, he should get more shot attempts. Powell averaging 19.5 points in six games without George last season.

Dunn is an elite defender. He has had a huge impact on the Jazz. With Dunn on the court, the Jazz have had a +7.7 points per 100 possessions, by Glass Cleaning. That ranks in the 86th percentile in the NBA.

The power forward position should be a competition between Porter and Amir Coffey. Coffey is better suited as a 3-and-D forward, and Porter is only 6’4″. Still, there’s no doubt the Clippers signed Porter just to leave him on the sidelines.

Porter has been a controversial hire. He was charged with domestic violence in November 2023. His girlfriend denied the allegations, saying prosecutors were spreading a “false narrative.” In January, Porter reached a plea deal plea agreement and avoided jail time. Signing him, of course, was a public relations nightmare. Why would the Clippers put their brand through that unless they planned to make him a real contributor?

Additionally, Porter has reportedly received multiple offers in free agency, according to Shams Charania of AthleticIf he didn’t expect to play many minutes, why would he choose the Clippers?

From a pure basketball standpoint, Porter is valuable. In 2022-23, he averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds for the team. Houston Rockets.

That leaves Bones Hyland on the sidelines. Hyland is a microwave scorer, still just 23 years old. When given a bigger role, he has excelled. Last season, he started five games, averaging 16.0 points and 6.4 assists. He also shot 42.9 percent from three-point range.

If Hyland stays out of the rotation, he could be traded. He has obvious value, but he doesn’t fit well with the current roster.

Batum and Bamba have little competition at the 4 and 5. P.J. Tucker underperformed last season and there’s no good reason why he should get more consistent playing time than Batum or Coffey. Forward Kobe Brown has potential, but he hasn’t made enough of an impact to overshadow the veterans yet.

Los Angeles Clippers – Key Team Roster

Norman Powell joins the incumbents

There are no real surprises here. Powell was part of the Clippers’ pivotal lineups last season. In fact, he was third on the team in terms of decisive points (45) and second in three-pointers made (7). From a pure talent standpoint, Powell deserves to be on the court at the end of games.

Harden took a more passive role, alongside Leonard and George. However, he was seventh in the NBA in assists (22). In the playoffs, we saw a different Harden. With Leonard injured, he was much more aggressive, scoring 13 of the team’s 23 decisive points. Look to keep that mentality going into next season.

All statistics courtesy of Statmuse, NBA, Cleaning the windowAnd Basketball Reference.

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