The One Thing the Clippers Need Most from Each Starter

The Los Angeles Clippers will have a lot of new faces in the 2026-27 season. The Kawhi Leonard era has come to an end, so the new-look Clippers enter a new phase. The priority will be the future, but this organization will always try to win as many games as possible.

To be competitive in the stacked Western Conference, the Clippers will need their best players to step up. Let's take a look at what they should expect from each of their starters heading into the season.

PG: Darius Garland

Garland is the most important player for the Clippers' success in the 2026-27 season. He was very efficient as a scorer after he joined the Clippers at the deadline, on the back of an excellent three-point shooting display.

Even though the Clippers would love the shooting to continue, the most important thing will be playmaking. This team is low on passing and playmaking, unless Keaton Wagler exceeds expectations as a rookie or Bradley Beal can stay healthy. This means that they will rely on Garland's ability to create shots for his teammates.

The Clippers have good shooters and play finishers. They just need a floor general to put them in the right positions. If Garland can do that consistently, the offense can overachieve.

SG: Kris Dunn

It's not clear whether Dunn will get the start next to Garland in the backcourt, but he should, precisely because of his skill set.

The Clippers don't have enough perimeter defense in the starting lineup. They need Dunn to provide point-of-attack defense. His ability to guard multiple positions, go over screens, and make defensive plays makes him the Clippers' best option against the opposing team's best players. If he can provide elite perimeter defense and can hit open shots on the other end for 25 minutes per game, the Clippers will be happy with Dunn's contributions.

SF: Brandon Ingram

Ingram and Garland will be the offensive engines for the Clippers. Assuming that the Clippers will be a bad defense because of their personnel, they need Ingram to keep them afloat offensively.

Garland will run a lot of pick-and-roll and start plays in the half-court, but it will be Ingram who needs to carry a lot of the scoring burden. Whether it's through isolations, coming off screens, or spot-up jumpers, Ingram has to score efficiently. He also needs to be an off-ball threat to keep defenses honest and provide spacing.

PF: Rui Hachimura

The Clippers can trust Hachimura to hit shots. He has been one of the best shooters at his position for a while. He will play an important role as a spot-up shooter.

More important for the Clippers, however, will be his defense. LA lacks physicality, rebounding, and intensity in the frontcourt. In fact, they don't really have a capable option to defend power forwards.

Hachimura is the only player who has the size and strength to hold his own against power forwards. The Clippers would love it if their new addition could take a step forward defensively and be a difference-maker.

C: Brook Lopez

At this stage of his career, Lopez is overstretched as a starter. It's not fair to expect starting-caliber performances from Lopez for long stretches. Ideally, he would come off the bench to provide shooting and rim protection for 15-20 minutes a game.

Unfortunately, the Clippers don't have the quality and depth at the center position. So, Lopez will play a huge role this season.

The best the Clippers can hope for is that Lopez maintains his level of play from last season. At age 38, there is a real risk of physical decline for Lopez. The Clippers would love it if the veteran center could avoid a major decline. If he can affect shots at the rim and hit some shots on the other end, it should be enough for the Clippers.

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