Clippers 2021-22 preview: A closer look at the roster

Name, position, height, weight, school/country, age

NICOLAS BATUM, F, 6-8, 230, France, 32

The versatile guardant wildly exceeded everyone’s expectations past play – including his own. In his 13th season, Batum brilliantly resurrected his career, starring the Clippers successful minutes played (1,835) and proving a reliable contributor offensively (46.4% shooting, including 40.4% from 3-point range) and defensively (69 steals and 37 blocked shots).

ERIC BLEDSOE, G, 6-1, 214, Kentucky, 31

A Clipper to commencement his career, Bledsoe is backmost – though helium astir doesn’t admit the place, truthful overmuch has changed. This iteration of the squad hopes his athleticism and quality to get downhill volition assistance them find a much-needed different cogwheel arsenic they acceptable their sights connected a 10th postseason quality successful 11 years – and helium seeks to bounce backmost from a pedestrian 2020-21 play successful New Orleans.

BRANDON BOSTON JR., G, 6-6, 188, Kentucky, 19

He’ll archer you himself: He’s a bucket. The erstwhile Chatsworth Sierra Canyon High standout struggled successful his sole play astatine Kentucky and tumbled down the NBA Draft committee due to the fact that of it. The Clippers were gladsome to drawback him with the 51st pick; they judge successful the electrical young scorer, signing him to a two-year woody with $2.5 cardinal guaranteed –  much than immoderate subordinate selected successful the 50s who wasn’t a draft-and-stash prospect.

AMIR COFFEY*, G/F, 6-7, 210, Minnesota, 24

The third-year helping is penciled successful to walk a 3rd play connected a two-way deal, splitting clip betwixt the G League and the large leagues. Coffey could beryllium called connected to lend much often with Kawhi Leonard sidelined pursuing country to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. If so, arsenic a 38.7% 3-point shooter past season, Coffey volition privation to amended his percent from heavy – arsenic his sister Nia did past play for the WNBA’s L.A. Sparks, erstwhile she changeable a career-best 41.7% from agelong range.

PAUL GEORGE, F, 6-8, 220, Fresno State, 31

PG enters the play shouldering a bigger load than helium has since helium was a rising prima successful Indiana: While Leonard is retired rehabbing, George volition person to enactment up bigger numbers to support the Clippers successful contention. And with Patrick Beverley present successful Minnesota, George volition person to rise his dependable to assistance capable the enactment void. But it’s besides an accidental for the Palmdale autochthonal to further re-establish himself among the game’s elite, and it’s 1 helium says helium relishes: “I’m acceptable for the combat this year.”

ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN, C, 7-0, 250, Germany, 23

He bushed retired Harry Giles III for the Clippers’ 3rd halfway position. During the preseason, the fourth-year pro averaged 7.5 points (on 72.2% shooting) to spell with 5.0 rebounds. 3.5 Jokic-esque assists (and 2.3 turnovers) and 1.8 steals successful 13.3 minutes per game.

SERGE IBAKA, F/C, 6-10, 235, Republic of Congo, 32

Last season, a backmost wounded kept the floor-spacing halfway retired for 30 regular-season games, for astir each of the playoffs and, from the looks of it, for the commencement of this season, too. Ibaka is not the elite shot-blocker helium utilized to be, but if he’s healthier this season, he’ll apt beryllium much productive than helium was successful his archetypal foray with the Clippers, erstwhile helium averaged conscionable 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks – the third- and second-fewest per crippled successful his 12-year career.

REGGIE JACKSON, G, 6-2, 208, Boston College, 31

Jackson’s prima crook successful the postseason – erstwhile helium averaged 17.8 points per crippled and changeable 48.4% from the level – helped gain him a two-year, $21.6 cardinal woody with the Clippers. Slated to commencement successful the backcourt alongside Bledsoe this season, the Clippers volition trust connected Jackson’s scoring punch with Leonard out. They’ll thin connected his contagious energy, too: “It’s been a helluva thrust since I’ve been here. I’m conscionable looking to person overmuch much fun,” helium said.

KEON JOHNSON, G, 6-4, 185, Tennessee, 19

The 21st prime successful the draft, the high-flying rookie won’t beryllium overmuch of a origin extracurricular of garbage clip and, likely, tons of tally with the Agua Caliente Clippers. He struggled offensively during Summer League and preseason action, but he’s got athleticism (see: an NBA Combine grounds 48-inch vertical jump) that should construe into dynamic NBA defence with time.

LUKE KENNARD, G, 6-5, 206, Duke, 25

The fifth-year defender doesn’t conscionable person a greenish light, he’s going to get pulled implicit and retired of the crippled if helium doesn’t fto shots fly. Without the 24.8 points per crippled Leonard scored past season, the Clippers are going to number connected Kennard – a 44.6% 3-point shooter past play – to sprout often and to sprout well. And helium knows it.

KAWHI LEONARD, F, 6-7, 225, San Diego State, 30

The precedence for the Clippers’ champion subordinate this season: Get healthy. And past … well, TBD. Leonard indicated helium chose to motion a four-year, $176.3 cardinal declaration (with a subordinate enactment for the last season) due to the fact that helium didn’t privation to regularisation retired a instrumentality this season. “I wanted to unafraid immoderate money,” said Leonard, who had country connected July 13. “And I wanted to beryllium capable to travel backmost if I was capable to this year. If I would person took the one-and-one, I astir apt would person not played conscionable to beryllium cautious and opted retired and took a five-year.”

TERANCE MANN, F/G, 6-5, 215, Florida State, 24

The Clippers drafted Mann – who played 4 years astatine Florida State – 48th wide successful 2019. He’s proving 1 of their amended picks, emerging arsenic a playoff leader past play erstwhile helium dropped 39 points successful a second-round playoff closeout crippled against the top-seeded Utah Jazz. This past week, helium became the archetypal subordinate drafted by the Clippers to re-sign with the squad (inking a two-year, $22 cardinal extension) since Blake Griffin successful 2017.

MARCUS MORRIS SR., F, 6-8, 218, Kansas, 32

Versatile and tough, Morris is some 1 of the Clippers’ affectional leaders – and, past season, their person from 3-point range, too. On a squad that changeable an NBA-leading 41.1% from down the arc, Morris deed 47.3% of his 3-point shots (the aforesaid percent helium changeable from the field, overall). He’s besides proved helium tin defender powerfulness forwards, wings, and adjacent interior threats – switchability that Lue is definite to marque usage of again, truthful agelong arsenic Morris’ close genu soreness abates.

JASON PRESTON, G, 6-3, 181, Ohio, 22

Drafted No. 33 wide retired of Ohio University, Preston signed a three-year, $4.5 cardinal declaration (with 2 years guaranteed) earlier sustaining torn ligaments successful his close ft during a workout anterior to grooming camp. The injury, which is expected to outgo him an untold but important information of his rookie season, is simply a pugnacious setback, but Lue said Preston has been peppering him with questions, trying to survey up arsenic helium waits to instrumentality to the court.

JAY SCRUBB*, G, 6-5, 220, John A. Logan College, 21

The 55th wide prime successful the 2020 NBA Draft, Scrubb entered the NBA straight from John A. Logan College, a inferior assemblage successful Carterville, Illinois, becoming the archetypal inferior assemblage subordinate drafted since 2004. He’s presently connected a two-way woody with the Clippers, for whom helium showed immoderate violative flashes successful constricted late-season appearances past play aft recovering from close ft country successful late-2020.

JUSTISE WINSLOW, F/G, 6-6, 222, Duke, 25

The Clippers anticipation Winslow volition enactment steadfast capable to beryllium the versatile contributor they imagined erstwhile they signed him utilizing the bulk of their payer mid-level exception. Lue envisions playing Winslow astatine each position, from halfway to constituent defender – an thought that appeals to the erstwhile Duke standout: “Being capable to usage that versatility to complement antithetic guys whether its a small-ball lineup oregon we’re playing big. Just being capable to … marque a difference.”

IVICA ZUBAC, C, 7-0, 240, Croatia, 24

The Clippers’ good-natured Iron Man, Zubac appeared successful each regular-season crippled for the past 2 seasons and returns steadfast this play aft an MCL sprain sidelined him for the Clippers’ last 2 playoff games. This year, he’ll statesman the play arsenic the team’s starting halfway and strive to proceed his all-around betterment – which could payment from the violative chemistry he’s processing rapidly with Bledsoe.