What We Learned About New-Look Clippers in Three Preseason Games

Three exhibition games only show so much, but they gave the Los Angeles Clippers a first look at a roster that has very little in common with last year's group after a summer that changed almost everything.

Kawhi Leonard is now in Toronto and James Harden is in Cleveland, so this preseason was the first chance to see who would step up without them.

The Clippers opened with a 104-101 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, Oct. 4, in Honolulu, and then lost 114-106 to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, Oct. 10, in Vancouver before they beat the Denver Nuggets 122-110 on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Intuit Dome to finish 2-1.

Forward Rui Hachimura, who signed a two-year, $28 million deal after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 21, 14 and 16 points in those games, and his big night in Honolulu came on 8-of-11 shooting.

Guard Darius Garland had 15 points and six assists against Golden State and 14 points and seven assists against Denver, while rookie forward Baba Miller scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the finale.

I think the clearest thing we learned is that this offense belongs to Garland, who came over from Cleveland in the Harden trade last February.

He averaged 13.3 points and 5.7 assists across the three games, and the ball moved best when he set the pace, as the Clippers piled up 35 assists on 45 made baskets against Denver.

Hachimura averaged 17 points, and the Clippers badly need that scoring after they traded Leonard to Toronto for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick and draft picks, since Ingram is not ready to play yet.

Garland has also enjoyed sharing the backcourt with guard Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 pick in this year's draft, and I like that the young players around him did not look lost.

Ingram is working back from heel surgery in May that also repaired a partially torn Achilles, and head coach Tyronn Lue said on Oct. 13 that Ingram still has a while to go.

Guard Max Strus, who came over in a multi-team trade with Cleveland, partially tore the plantar fascia in his right foot five minutes into the opener and was set to be reevaluated in four weeks.

Guard Bradley Beal has no timetable with inflammation in his right knee, and center Yanic Konan Niederhauser is still recovering from foot surgery.

Lue said before the finale that the injured players have been learning the plays during rehab, because in past years the offense had to take steps back when players did not know the system.

He explained why that cannot happen again when he said, "Our margin for error is so slim, we can't have that this season, so we got to be ready. When guys step on the floor, when they're back and ready to play, they got to know what we're doing."

The Clippers host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Oct. 21, before visiting the Lakers on Friday, Oct. 23.

I believe Garland and Hachimura can keep this team close to .500 until Ingram and the rest of the injured group return.