One Clippers Lineup to Look Forward to Next Season

The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to be as competitive as possible next season and will be looking to win as many games as they can in the first year of the post-Kawhi Leonard era. As long as Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Ty Lue are in charge, the Clippers aren't going to bottom out and rebuild.

At the same time, they have no realistic chance of a deep postseason run. Thus, they can't completely focus on the present and ignore the future. This means that they have to deploy some lineups with player development in mind.

The most important player for the future of the franchise is the No. 5 overall pick, Keaton Wagler. The Clippers have to make sure they put him in a position to succeed. This doesn't necessarily mean that he has to start or close games. It means that he is put in lineups that maximize his potential and optimize his impact.

One such combination is a five-man group that includes Wagler, Darius Garland, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.

Clippers Have to Let Keaton Wagler Explore Studio Space

This is obviously not the best lineup Lue can put out there. At least one or two of Brandon Ingram, Kris Dunn, and Brook Lopez will be on the floor at all times. These veterans give the Clippers the best chance to be competitive.

But Lue has to give the Wagler-Garland backcourt duo as many reps as possible. This would allow Wagler to improve his off-ball game and take some of the shot-creation burden off him. Garland would work as the primary ball-handler while Wagler adjusts to the NBA physicality. It will be important to get some data points about the fit between the two guards.

Whenever Wagler and Garland are on the court together, the Clippers have to surround them with some defense. That is why Derrick Jones Jr. is a better option here than Ingram. In fact, even Kris Dunn could replace Hachimura in this group for more perimeter defense. But Hachimura's shooting and size may be more intriguing to help the Wagler and Garland duo.

Lopez would certainly be a solid option as a floor spacer and rim protector. But he is 38 years old. The future of the center position in LA belongs to Niederhauser.

Niederhauser had to undergo season-ending foot surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury late in his rookie season. Before his injury, he was showing intriguing touch around the basket. He has the potential to be a good offensive player, rebounder, and rim protector. Once he is back to 100%, having him share the floor with the Garland-Wagler duo will be important for his development.

There will be some growing pains with this lineup. There will be serious defensive concerns. The inexperience of Wagler and Niederhauser will be a problem. For this team that doesn't have serious playoff ambitions, however, this is as exciting as any five-man unit will get next season.

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