Much ado about nothing, but potentially another layer for the Battle of L.A.

Russell Westbrook claims he didn’t want to come to the Clippers the Clippers reportedly never wanted Westbrook.

The NBA has released its protocols for vaccinated and unvaccinated players.

Former Clipper Malik Fitts, who had a cameo with this year’s Summer League team, is on the Utah Jazz training camp roster.

Eric Bledsoe is also back in Los Angeles, this time playing for a vastly different organization.The goggles are back, and Reggie Jackson sounds as excited as any Clipper for the season to start.For now, this is the veteran group that will be starting things off for the Clippers. Should Mann - or even Luke Kennard - force his hand, changes will be made. He famously had 10-game trial periods for his rotations during the previous regular season and will presumably be equally flexible going forward. Lue has also been willing to adjust when necessary. Furthermore, Lue has shown a commitment to staggering his lead offensive creators, so not having a “traditional” point guard coming off the bench isn’t much of an issue to that point, Bledsoe and Jackson aren’t pure points, anyway. During the playoffs, they were outscored by 6.5 points per 100 possessions (in 152 possessions), struggling even when Leonard was available.īledsoe is the most accomplished of all the potential fifth starters, even if Terance Mann presents more upside. The quartet of George, Jackson, Morris, and Zubac played 748 possessions together last year during the regular season, outscoring opponents by 5.0 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. The 6-foot-11, 250-pound big man can score on the block, shoot from mid-range and will be an excellent rim-runner and lob-catcher with Henderson, Simons and Brogdon in the pick-and-roll.First day of camp. He could be in for a larger role this year as an experienced vet on a young team.īillups said on media day (subscription required) that Ayton won’t get Joel Embiid-level touches, but the 25-year-old will be featured offensively as part of Portland’s young core moving forward, and he certainly has the talent for it. He proved to be a legitimate third option on offense last year while providing a level of switchable, versatile defense. There’s a reason the Blazers re-signed Grant to a five-year, $160 million contract this offseason. The 26-year-old is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders and shot almost 39 percent from three in Portland after getting the green light to let fly by his head coach. Billups may lean into a more veteran-laden starting five as well, which gives Thybulle the nod over Sharpe. Don’t be surprised if the 24-year-old makes a push at an all-star berth this year.Īgain, another spot that could be handed to Brogdon or Sharpe, but like Simons, Thybulle earned his place in the starting lineup after the way he played following his arrival from the Philadelphia 76ers at last year’s trade deadline. It’s time for Simons to show how talented of a scorer he is and get the recognition he deserves around the NBA. He was the Blazers’ second-leading scorer during a breakout 2022-23 season and was second on the team in usage rate behind Lillard. This spot could also go to Brogdon or even Shaedon Sharpe, but Simons has earned the right to continue as a starter and become Portland’s offensive fulcrum. His coaches and teammates had nothing but praise on media day for his leadership and playmaking ability. Henderson is now the face of the franchise.

Scoot Henderson starting at point guard on opening night against the LA Clippers is as close to a sure thing as you’ll get with the Blazers this year. Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Portland Trail Blazers starters to begin the 2023-24 season look at the Los drudge crossword puzzle 2022-23 Los Angeles Clippers Starting Lineup Today LA Clippers Roster ESPN LA Clippers Roster ESPN Los Angeles.

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