Getty The L.A. Clippers debuted a new starting 5.
If you had been among those clamoring here in the early NBA season to see more Luke Kennard in the Clippers’ player rotation, then Monday night in Portland was the game for you. Coach Tyronn Lue went with an overhaul of the starting five against the Blazers, inserting Kennard as the shooting guard. Lue had, on Friday, gone with a big lineup that had Paul George at shooting guard.
The addition of Kennard was the most significant change, marking his first start of the season. Lue also pulled Serge Ibaka after a three-game stint as a starter.
The other starters were, as expected, Paul George (at small forward), Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson.
Clippers starters tonight:
Reggie Jackson
LUKE KENNARD
Paul George
Marcus Morris
Ivica Zubac
FINALLY, the time has come.
Establishing some spacing was the goal of inserting Kennard, who is shooting 42.9% from the 3-point line. He scored 15 points, 13 in the first half, and made three of his six 3-point attempts.
“That’s been one of our key teaching points of getting in the paint, making the right reads, kicking the ball out to the open guy and getting the right shots,” he said. “I thought we did a really good job of that tonight especially to open the game.”
Rookie Brandon Boston Is Clippers 6th Man
Maybe the bigger surprise for the Clippers was what Lue did once he went to the bench—he turned first to 20-year-old rookie Brandon Boston, the team’s No. 51 pick in this year’s draft. Yes, ahead of Bledsoe, Ibaka and Terance Mann.
Boston came through, providing 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting and 3-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line. It was suggested to Lue that Boston might need protection defensively, but Lue laughed, joking about the ever-confident rookie.
“And offensively, too, because he might start doing too much,” Lue said. “If we got PG and Reggie out there and Marcus to kind of settle him and calm him down a little bit, that’s good for him, but I thought he played great. Just taking his open shots, made three 3s, aggressive attacking the basket on closeouts. And defensively, hustling back that one time got the deflection. He’s only going to get better, 13 points off the bench for a rookie, that’s solid.
Serge Ibaka Slipping out of the Rotation?
The loser in the latest round of Clippers lineup shuffling could be Ibaka, who was slow to return from back surgery he had last spring, has appeared in only 11 games this season. He played a little more than seven minutes on the night and could be benched once Nicolas Batum returns to health.
Lue was noncommittal when asked about Ibaka’s role going forward.
“We’ll see,” the coach said.
It has also meant a much-reduced role for Bledsoe, who was acquired this offseason with the aim of having him be a multifaceted backcourt partner with Jackson. Instead, Bledsoe has landed with a bench spot and only limited minutes. He played 15:37 on Monday night, his smallest pool of playing time this season.
In three games as a reserve, Bledsoe has averaged 4.0 points on 28.7% shooting from the field.
Bledsoe has said he would accept the demotion without argument, and according to Lue, that’s been the case.
“He’s a professional, he wants to win, had no problem with it at all,” Lue said.