The LA Clippers will have to make do without Kawhi Leonard next season, and head coach Tyronn Lue may be innovating a bit to accomplish that.
Lue hinted to reporters this week that he might be going with a fairly big change to the Clippers’ starting lineup next season. He said that his vision was to start Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Paul George, Markieff Morris, and Ivica Zubac, per Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.
The biggest news here is the inclusion of Bledsoe, whom the Clippers just acquired this summer. Terance Mann had started for the Clippers after Leonard got injured and was a breakout star of last season's playoffs. Morris is also an interesting one. He finished the playoffs as a starter, but Nicolas Batum was the starting 4 to begin the season and still made a handful of starts into the playoffs. Finally, Zubac was the Clippers’ starting center throughout the playoffs, but it remains to be seen if he will hold onto the job once Serge Ibaka is fully healthy.
Leonard’s return date is completely up in the air right now, so expect Lue and the Clippers to go with whatever lineup will help them best compete until Kawhi gets back.
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