At the point guard position, Nikola Topic leads the way for the 3rd straight season as starting point guard. Coming into the league as a raw 18 year old, Topic stunned fans his 1st season by securing the starting position only part-way through his rookie season. Since then, nothing has changed, as the now 20 year old continues to be a franchise favourite as their starting point guard. Topic leads the way as a high-quality floor general who knows how to pick his spots well.
Scoot Henderson has replaced Keon Johnson's place as backup point guard now. The recently drafted 3rd overall pick is coming into the league as a raw teenager, similar to Topic when he first entered the league himself. Henderson has a lot to learn, but his talents should enable him to grow into a quality point guard in the future. Henderson is a walking paint touch, with quick-twitch burst comparable to a V8 engine in a Volkswagen buggy. Only time will tell how effective he can be.
Markus Howard also returns for his 3rd season as the consummate professional he is. He knows his job and does it well. Comes in, slows the game down, and hits 3's with great efficiency.
At the shooting guard position, Jalen William leads the way for the Clips. J-Dub is entering his 4th season in the league, and will be entering Free Agency at the end of the season. A talented player, with many teams across the league salivating at the opportunity to pick him up, Williams will be entering this season with different expectations from the remainder of the team. Jalen is a natural born winner, and wants to win. He is expecting this team to start winning games, and if his efforts are all for naught, he will start looking for another team. Look for the Clippers to appease their franchise star and to start putting a winner around him.
Vince Williams Jr. comes off the bench for the LA Clippers this season. Entering his sophomore year, VW will be thrusted into a more demanding role than last season. For a quick recap, Williams Jr. played last season with minimal expectations, only coming in to absorb some minutes and be an efficient release valve off the bench. This season, Vince will be expected to perform at a higher level than last season. More shots, more minutes, a more defined role, and greater expectations. Look for VW to be integrated into the offense more this season, as his abilities as a flamethrower behind the arc gets utilized.
Tyler Herro comes in to fill the 3rd string slot. Coming off a season being relegated to the D-League, Herro has been brought in to this team as a veteran leader who brings playoff experience, and assist the team in making a serious playoff run. The former 12th overall pick has been a part of the Doncic-led Knicks and the Troy Brown-led Bucks, both team who've entered the season and playoffs with serious championship expectations. The LA Clippers are hoping Herro's playoff experience can lead this team towards April/May basketball.
At the small forward position, Jaylen Hoard will debut as the starter for the Los Angeles Clippers. A former 3rd overall pick, Hoard brings veteran leadership and strong two-way play to a team that has desperately needed an on-court leader and veteran. Someone who's known for their on-the-court IQ and antics, Hoard will be the on-court defensive coordinator and leader. The Clippers have had the need for someone like him, as although they have good individual defenders in Jeremy Sochan and Jalen Williams, they didn't have anyone to bring the team together and play good coordinated team basketball. Hoard brings that in spades.
Robert Franks continues his 2nd season for the franchise as a solid rotational tweener coming off the bench. Last season, despite playing previous seasons with greater minutes or a bigger role on the team, Robert Franks played his best individual basketball. He had a career high in PPG and total points scored, on over 63% TS%. This season, Franks will be expected to bring the same level of maturity, poise, and red-hot gunslinging that he brought last season. Another CSL veteran, Robert's playoff experience with the Sacramento Kings and Miami Heat will be drawn upon, and we are hoping the experience he brings gets distributed amongst the youth of this team.
Kris Murray rounds out the small forward position on this team. The twin brother of Atlanta's Keegan Murray, Kris is a capable player. He does a little bit of everything, and will be expected to play whatever role is given to him as needed. He excels at shooting the skin off the ball, and stands strong as a defender. Throw in the willingness to crash for rebounds or attack off the catch occasionally, and Murray is a capable rotation wing. He will not have many expectations coming into the season, but will be expected to stay professional and come in as needed.
For the 5th straight season, Jeremy Sochan starts for the LA Clippers. Coming off a shaky free agency where Sochan wasn't happy with the offer given to him, Jeremy is looking to make his mark on the league this season and earn his next contract. The all-round maestro led the team in assists last season at the SF position, but this season Sochan will be moved back to his natural PF position to terrorize the entire court. Not much has to be said about Sochan. He's playing for his next contract, and whether or not he'll be staying with the Clippers after this season. Otherwise, the franchise star is well-known for his ability to effect the entire game regardless of what's going on around him. Keep an eye on Sochan this season.
This season, Jarrell Brantley will be coming off the bench as Sochan's backup. Last season he was the starting power forward, but things change. What doesn't change is Jarrell Brantley. Similar to Robert Franks, Brantley posted career highs in PPG, total points, and an over 60% TS%. Another catch-&-shoot king, Brantley will be expected to do the same for the Clippers this season. He's similarly got playoff experience with the Dallas Mavericks, and the team is hoping he'll utilize his experience to the fullest this season, and instill his knowledge on the youth of this team.
The 23rd overall pick of this past offseason, Armando Bacot, will be filling in the 3rd string power forward position. Bacot is an interesting big from UNC. He dominated the NCAA with his post moves and bully-ball antics, but teams are unsure if his size will be a limiting factor in the league. A big man on the smaller side of things, Bacot will have his fair share of challenges matching up with CSL big men. But fortunately enough for him, there aren't many expectations for him this season. Bacot will have to grind it out in the practice facilities, as there are too many players ahead of him in the rotation.
At the center position, Jalen Duren will be continuing his reign as the starting big man on the team. He came into the team last season as a free agent signing, and immediately pounced on the new opportunity. With more touches and greater responsibilities, Duren posted career highs across the board. More of the same will be expected of him this season, but with some new challenges.
And here are the new challenges! Olivier Sarr, another center acquired this offseason, will be competing with Jalen Duren for the starting center position. If Duren is an inside-the-arc scorer, Sarr is an above-the-arc scorer of the finest caliber. An efficient shooter from all over the floor, Sarr is going to give Duren some real competition for that starting center position. The Clippers are likely looking to rotate Duren and Sarr depending on their matchup on any given night. But Sarr is an elite offensive weapon that the Clippers are looking to utilize and prioritize.
Now entering his 4th season in the league, Harold Yu rounds out the center rotation for the team. Yu's been grinding away in Anaheim for multiple seasons now, and after warming the bench all last season, Yu will be expected to be the 1st man up when we need an injury-replacement big man. The now 22 year old from China has seen tremendous growth, and he's got the trainers in the LAC gym talking. Yu may not see much action this season barring any major injuries, but be warned, Harold Yu is a ginormous 7'3 behemoth who's finally ready to be unleashed on the CSL.
Nikola Topic | Jalen Williams | Jaylen Hoard | Jeremy Sochan | Jalen Duren
Scoot Henderson | Vince Williams Jr. | Robert Franks | Jarrell Brantley | Olivier Sarr
Markus Howard | Tyler Herro | Kris Murray | Armando Bacot | Harold Yu
Scoot Henderson | Vince Williams Jr. | Robert Franks | Jarrell Brantley | Olivier Sarr
Markus Howard | Tyler Herro | Kris Murray | Armando Bacot | Harold Yu
Entering the 35-36 season, the LA Clippers are looking to make the playoffs for the 1st time in over a decade. They've got a good mix of talented youth, experienced players, and grizzled vets. Let's hear it for your Los Angeles Clippers!
