Projected Clippers Depth Chart for the Play-In Tournament

It is "Win or Go Home" time for the Los Angeles Clippers. In order to make the playoffs, the Clippers need to win two games in a row in the Play-In Tournament. The first of these games is on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors. Head coach Ty Lue will push his players to their limit, meaning that Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland will play as many minutes as they can handle. But what will the rest of their rotation look like?

In the final week of the season, Lue changed the Clippers' starting lineup. He moved John Collins to the bench and started Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and Brook Lopez next to his two All-Stars. That should continue on Wednesday.

PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Darius Garland	Kris Dunn	Kawhi Leonard	Derrick Jones Jr.	Brook Lopez
Kobe Sanders	Bennedict Mathurin	Jordan Miller	John Collins	Isaiah Jackson
			Nicolas Batum

How Will Ty Lue Distribute Minutes Against the Warriors?

How much playing time the rest of the rotation will get remains to be seen. Collins, Jordan Miller, and Bennedict Mathurin should be considered the three backups who are guaranteed to get minutes off the bench.

Mathurin will be on a short leash. In the most important game of the season against the Blazers on Friday, Lue didn't play Mathurin after the first quarter, after the 23-year-old shooting guard struggled defensively. If he can't execute early, he could ride the bench for most of the game once again.

Collins and Miller, however, have been the two most trusted reserves for Lue in recent weeks. Miller and Collins are both averaging around 25 minutes per game in the final 12 games of the season.

Depending on how deep a rotation Lue wants to play, Kobe Sanders, Nicolas Batum, and Isaiah Jackson will get some action.

Jackson is expected to make his return after missing the last few weeks with an ankle sprain. As the only other center on the roster besides Brook Lopez, he should get a look in the first half to see how he does against Kristaps Porzingis and Draymond Green. Lopez's lack of defensive versatility and slow feet could be an issue against Steph Curry, giving Jackson more of a chance to stay on the floor.

Nicolas Batum is a wildcard. He was used sparingly throughout the season, but he provides an intriguing skillset as a switchable, versatile big. He has a ton of experience in high-stakes games and could get some minutes to see if he can make an impact with his shooting and passing.

Lue has a difficult decision to make. Against the Blazers last week, the Clippers ran out of gas at the end of the game, scoring only 13 points in the fourth quarter. Lue admitted that fatigue played a role in the crucial loss. Garland played over 40, and Leonard played over 37 minutes in that game.

The Clippers will want to avoid the same scenario, but the starting lineup with their stars gives the Clippers their best chance to win games. Finding the right balance between keeping your veterans fresh at the end of the game and playing your best lineup enough minutes together will be a challenge for Lue. If he can strike that balance, the Clippers should have no trouble against Curry and the Warriors.

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