Tyronn Lue has made his call for opening night, and Kris Dunn is the name Joey Linn reported will get the start for the LA Clippers. It’s a choice that makes plenty of sense on one end of the floor. Dunn brings edge, pressure, and rebounding from the guard spot, and those traits fit neatly with what the Clippers will need from the rest of the group.
The problem is what Dunn doesn’t bring.
He does not score the ball with the kind of force that eases the load on Darius Garland, and that is where this decision gets tricky. Garland is already the first option, and with Dunn in the lineup, more of the shot-making responsibility falls right back on his shoulders.
There was another path available. If Keaton Wagler had been the starter, Garland’s job would have looked a lot friendlier. The rookie has shown he can create for himself, which would have given the backcourt a different kind of pressure point.
Instead, Dunn is the guy Lue chose to open with, and that creates an obvious issue while Brandon Ingram remains sidelined recovering from a partially torn Achilles. With no established second option stepping in to relieve Garland, the next name up is Rui Hachimura, and that is where the scoring picture gets thin fast.
Dunn averaged just 7.3 points, the fewest among the projected starting five in the 2025-26 season. That number matters here, because a starter with that profile does not force defenses to bend in the same way a more dangerous scorer would.
He can hit a spot-up look and occasionally create a bucket for himself or make something happen by moving without the ball. But he does not put much pressure on the rim, and he hardly lives at the line.
That opens the door for opponents to shade away from Dunn and load up on Garland instead. If defenses feel comfortable giving Dunn extra room, they can focus more attention on stopping the star guard and make life harder for him out of the backcourt.
For now, that is the concern hanging over this lineup. Lue may eventually decide to rethink it once the season gets rolling. But on opening night, Garland may have to deal with the tougher version of this setup right away.
In Other News...
Clippers May Not Be Done With Cam Christie After All
Cam Christies brief run on the Clippers roster may not have been the end of his story in Los Angeles. The team waived the young guard on Oct. 14 ahead of the leagues roster deadline, a move that seemed to close the book on his immediate role with the club after he logged limited NBA minutes and little statistical impact.
But there is still a path for Christie to remain in the organization, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer. Los Angeles may explore bringing him back in a different capacity after a preseason in which he flashed some promise, leaving the door open for a return that would keep him in the Clippers pipeline even if his place on the main roster is not settled. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Suddenly Have A Frontcourt Opportunity Fans Need To Watch
The Knicks have put extension talks with Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns on hold as they shift into preseason mode, and the pause has already stirred up some tension around Towns. He said he was disappointed the decision was announced publicly without a heads-up, even as he made it clear he wants to stay in New York. For teams around the league, the situation is worth watching because it creates a possible opening with a high-profile frontcourt player if the talks never get back on track.
For the Clippers, the appeal is obvious. If Towns ever gets to the point where he can test the market, Los Angeles would be among the clubs that could take a hard look at him, especially given how few opportunities there are to add that kind of talent to the front line. The catch is that nothing about this is close to simple, and Towns would still have to make a major decision next season before free agency could even become a real possibility. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Face A Risky Deadline Question In Cross-Town Derrick Jones Buzz
The Lakers aggressive move for Walker Kessler changed the calculus at the deadline, but it also left Rob Pelinka with a familiar problem: very little room to maneuver. With multiple future first-round picks and swaps already sent to Utah, any pursuit of extra frontcourt help has to be measured against a shallow pile of remaining assets and the possibility that another move could create as many complications as it solves.
One name that has surfaced is Derrick Jones Jr., who is on the Clippers roster and has been viewed around the league as a possible trade chip if contract talks dont lead to an extension. For the Lakers, the attraction is obvious, but the pathway is not. Any cross-town deal would carry obvious sensitivity, and the other big fallback option, Goga Bitadze, comes with its own history and fit questions, leaving Pelinka with a deadline decision that could hinge as much on relationships as on basketball. [Read more 🡒]