Starting At Point Guard...
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 8:33 pm
Sly Ty, he's not giving us the truth. He's hiding something, and that's on purpose. Once again, he's protecting the Clippers with the intent of psyching out his opponents. However, there is some truth to the $1 million question: who should start at point guard.
1. Wall should be a starter by default due to All-Star appearances. After Leonard and George, Wall has made five All-Star Games. The rest have yet to make one.
2. Jackson should start because he's been with the team the longest. Last season, he started in all 75 available games. Jackson has acclimated himself to the point guard role, it's now a part of chemistry and should not be broken. Familiarity always wins, or something like that.
3. Powell needs to start if he wants to make the All-Star Game. In addition, his career high in points must make sense. 21 PTS in 5 games is too small of a sample size with injury being the major cause. 21 PTS in 50 or more games, now we're talking.
Lue might do the unthinkable and pull off a round-robin move. My bold prediction is that Wall, Jackson and Powell will share a near equal amount of starts. For context, there are 410 possible starts in an 82-game season, but only one point guard spot. If Wall, Jackson and Powell are to all have starts, each of them must start no more than 27 times (exact number 27 and a third, leaving an extra game open for a tinker). That number can change due to injury, and the Clippers will be the most injury prone team coming into this season.
So let me present to you another wrinkle. Suppose the Clippers experience a lull, or a long losing streak, or their team morale has been compromised due to a very bad loss (large drought, rigged game, one of their teammates was ejected). Should any of these things occur, I would not be surprised Amir Coffey gets a start as a personification of the hot caffeinated beverage to help wake the team up out of their malaise. Last season, Coffey was seen as an energizer bunny but in a different light. Whereas players like Harrell give energy during a game, Coffey grants those same abilities but exclusively during the start of a game. The team won't get hot from 3-point land when he's on the floor, but their sense of urgency will be sharper.
How do you see the Clippers handle their starting point guard situation?