Oct 27, 2026 11:15 PM
The rebuilding Clippers have been dealing with some injuries to start the 2026-27 campaign.
Although the Los Angeles Clippers have not had their full roster available at the beginning of the new NBA season, it's unlikely head coach Ty Lue will make too many tweaks to his starting unit when everybody is healthy.
The Clippers will re-evaluate four players early next month—with Jordan Miller the only long-term absence—but how will their returns affect the rotations? Let's take a look:
Starting Guards: Garland, Dunn
Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesEven when veteran Bradley Beal (knee) is back in the fold, there is no reason for Lue to change his starting backcourt.
Star point guard Darius Garland and running mate Kris Dunn are finding a rhythm, and rookie Keaton Wagler is complementing them nicely as one of the first off the bench.
Garland is leading the Clippers with 24 points and 7 assists per game. Dunn is chipping in 3.3 steals. Wagler is averaging 13 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4 assists.
There is a lot of room for growth there, with the Clippers off to a 1-2 start to the campaign.
Los Angeles beat the Sacramento Kings 121-96 in last week's opener before losing back-to-back outings against the Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road.
They will host the Lakers on Wednesday in their next game, and fans should expect to see a lot more of the trio running the show.
If at any point a starting lineup change is made, chances are it will be Wagler replacing Dunn. 33-year-old Beal will be a rotational bench piece at best, should he manage to stay healthy. He hasn't played more than 53 games since 2021-22 — including just six last season.
Starting Forwards: Ingram, Hachimura
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesLue has options in his frontcourt, with newcomer Brandon Ingram set to return from a partially torn Achilles sometime in November. The same goes for Max Strus, who is dealing with a partially torn plantar fascia.
Marquee free-agent acquisition: Rui Hachimura's spot is likely going to be safe. Derrick Jones Jr., however, may have to shift into a sixth-man role to allow Ingram to flourish.
A two-time All-Star, Ingram's scoring upside is too good to hold back, especially in the Clippers' situation, where they don't have a ton of elite firepower following the departure of Kawhi Leonard.
Going into Year 11, Ingram, 29, averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last year in his sole season with the Toronto Raptors. He played in 77 games — the most since he was a rookie. He figures to be a mainstay in Lue's lineup when healthy.
Ingram is a 36.6 percent career three-point shooter with an average of 19.8 points. He makes his money in the midrange, converting 51.2 percent of his two-point attempts last season and above 50 percent in the last five years.
The Clippers brought in Strus from the Cleveland Cavaliers via a multi-team trade in August. He is a reliable two-way addition, a 10.4 points-per-game career scorer, and is on an expiring $16.7 million contract. He should carve out a second unit role fairly quickly.
Starting Center: Jackson
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn ImagesIsaiah Jackson earned the starting job in training camp and is off to a nice start to his first full campaign as a member of the Clippers.
He is averaging 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game and is still young enough at 24 for Lue to be able to look forward and build with.
The Clippers acquired Jackson in the trade with the Indiana Pacers that saw Ivica Zubac head the other way last season. He is a former No. 22 overall Draft pick (2021) and perhaps hasn't hit his ceiling yet.
Jackson is competing for minutes with the Clippers' No. 30 overall pick from 2025, Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesCurrently nursing a foot injury, Niederhauser made an impression on Lue and his staff in 41 games as a rookie, averaging 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.3 mins per game, shooting 64 percent from the field.
An excellent athlete, standing at 6-foot-11, the rebuilding Clippers may well want to see what they have in Niederhauser by giving him an extended run as a starter, with no real expectations for the team to compete this term.
However, Jackson has not given Lue any reason to make a change in the first three games.
What's definitely not changing is Brook Lopez's impact bench role. The 38-year-old veteran is off to a sizzling start this season, averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game. He is shooting a whopping 54.5 percent from beyond the arc.
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