Most Important Position Battle for the Clippers in Training Camp

The Los Angeles Clippers enter the 2026-27 season with a revamped roster. After finally ending the Kawhi Leonard era, the Clippers will have seven newcomers on the roster. It may take some time for Ty Lue to find the best lineup combinations.

The Clippers need to put the offseason chaos behind them and focus on the task at hand. That is why training camp and preseason will be very important for the team. With one month left before the first Clippers game, there are still unanswered questions regarding the depth chart, and camp will hopefully help Lue answer them.

The biggest rotation question of them all will be about who gets the start at shooting guard. The most likely starting five for LA will include Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram, Rui Hachimura, and Brook Lopez. Who will get that fifth starting spot, however, remains up in the air.

The crazy part is that there are six realistic candidates to get the nod: Kris Dunn, Keaton Wagler, Max Strus, Bradley Beal, Kobe Sanders, and Derrick Jones Jr.

Who Will Get the Start at Shooting Guard for the Clippers?

Each player brings different strengths and weaknesses, but it might be the preseason performances that determine who eventually gets the start.

The Clippers already have an abundance of shooting and scoring in the starting lineup. What the Garland-Ingram-Hachimura-Lopez group lacks is physicality and defense. It would make sense for Lue to prioritize that in his starting SG decision.

This likely eliminates Wagler from the competition. The rookie's offense-first style and skill set aren't needed in that starting lineup.

While Bradley Beal is the biggest name out of that group, he is also not very additive next to Garland and Ingram. Unless he was promised a starting spot when he re-signed with the team, he makes a lot more sense as a sixth man.

Strus is the best three-and-D player on the team. He is a proven winner and should help the team with his two-way ability. But unlike Dunn and Jones Jr., he just joined the team, so Lue may be hesitant to give him the keys right away.

The same is true for Sanders too. He would provide more size and physicality at the two, but he is entering his second season in the league. It's difficult to see how he would overtake all of these veterans for the starting spot.

To me, Dunn or Jones Jr. makes the most sense as the fifth starter. Jones Jr. isn't necessarily a shooting guard, but he could guard them. Ingram could essentially work as the shooting guard offensively, giving the Clippers some size and length. This could allow them to punch above their weight defensively.

Dunn is the cleanest fit. As a point-of-attack defender who doesn't need the ball in his hands on the other end of the floor, he complements Garland very well. He provides that defensive intensity and versatility the Clippers' starting group needs.

Whether Lue feels the same way, however, remains to be seen. Until he announces his starting lineup before the season, this will be a position battle worth keeping an eye on.

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