Starting At Point Guard...

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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?

[clipsfever]

Coach Ty's options for going without either a true PG or C - without any of Reggie, Wall or Zu on the floor... with PG13 as the ballhandler presumably... are fascinating

PG13 on the ball, Klaw at either 3 or 4... and then plug in 3:

Morris
Powell
Batum
RoCo
Mann
Luke
Coffey
Boston

[nickhx2]

just flip a coin, bro

[KL2]

Just in case …

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[nickhx2]

agree with that because PG is still doing the defacto PG thing, but if wall were to start then they'd have nobody handling that role once PG/wall go to the bench. wall should be a scoring/distributing focal point and that happens for both him and the team optimally when he's coming off the bench

[esqtvd]

never sleep on Reggie

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[Ballings7]

No issue with Reggie starting at PG.. playmaking duties will primarily be from the big two anyway, while Reggie brings the ball up the court depending.

I think something that may well happen as well is whoever is the most on, will finish the game, even if Reggie started fine.

I think in the least Reggie starting, is just for continuity purposes with the main group to get a baseline, assure a solid start, resume chemistry from the 2021 playoffs. And then Lue will experiment at times against lesser teams, and at times some better teams if something worked with a new line up, to go back to if something calls for it (weird stretch, bettter matchup, playoff adjustment, etc).

Not surprised Reggie's starting, and considering Wall is still "coming back" to form, but on the way up.. who knows, he could be extremely reliable and potent and be a super 6th man and finish games a bunch of times. Will be neat to follow.

This line up would be interesting to see at times, too:

Reggie
Wall
George
Kawhi
Batum

I expect Wall to tap well into his defensive capabilities he hasn't maybe routinely been able to show in the past due to high offensive load. I've always thought he's been an underrated defender with his physical tools and have seen him enaged there quite a few times, but doesn't always get recognition because of the offensive focus.

[NickP]

Wall should start at PG.

[dlts20]

Wall should start and is easily better. You are just out thinking yourself if Jackson starts and wall will eventually get the spot anyways