The Los Angeles Clippers kick off the 2026-27 NBA season on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. The fanbase is desperately hoping to forget all about the Kawhi Leonard saga and is looking forward to focusing on the season.
While the Clippers don't have serious postseason ambitions this season, they would still like to win as many games as they can. As long as Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Ty Lue are there, the Clippers will prioritize winning now rather than bottoming out and rebuilding.
This season, the Clippers have even less of an incentive to bottom out. They don't control their own 2027 first-round pick, and they really need to wash the bad taste of this offseason out of their mouths. Being competitive and having a feel-good season would go a long way in doing that.
How competitive they can be remains to be seen, but this will largely depend on one factor: the center play.
The Clippers have one of the worst center rotations in the league. Brook Lopez, Isaiah Jackson, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser are the only big men on the roster, and Konan Niederhauser will begin the season sidelined.
Getting 48 minutes of consistent and quality center play out of this rotation will be close to impossible.
Isaiah Jackson Starting Highlights Clippers' Questionable Roster Decision
Lue confirmed last week that Jackson will be the starting center to open the season. This gives the Clippers more dynamism, speed, and athleticism compared to Lopez starting, but makes the team very undersized.
The Clippers don't have a lot of physicality and defensive intensity on the perimeter. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. are the only good defenders on the roster who will be healthy to start the season. This puts a lot of pressure on the interior, and Jackson doesn't have the reputation to be a defensive anchor or a rim protector. Plus, he is only six-foot-eight.
Lopez is 38 years old and has really slowed down, so reducing his role makes sense. Lue's decision to start Jackson over him is understandable.
What is harder to understand is the Clippers' decision not to add more depth and quality at the center position.
There isn't a starting-caliber center on this roster. Konan Niederhauser could maybe get there, but he is unproven. The Clippers are going to play average backup-level centers for 48 minutes per game. Rim protection, rebounding, and physicality on the interior will be big challenges all season.
It's difficult to imagine how Lue creates a respectable defensive unit with that big men rotation. This will force the Clippers to look back at this offseason and regret their decision to enter the season with this crop of centers.
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