The Los Angeles Clippers are the odds-on favorites to win this season's NBA title because of the arrival of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but while all eyes will be on the team's two newest superstars, the other guys on the roster are expected to play a major role; even someone like sophomore Terance Mann.

Mann was the 48th pick in last year's draft but he didn't play for the Clippers at all last season. However, the team is still optimistic about his potential as a defender, and he's getting pointers from none other than Leonard on how to stop the league's best players, particularly Houston Rockets star James Harden, per Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.

“I grew up watching him (Harden). But I was just locked in and trying to learn the principles that Kawhi and everybody else was telling me. I was just locked in out there.”

Mann played 25 minutes against the Rockets on Saturday, and his primary assignment was to guard James Harden. It wasn't an easy task, especially for someone who's never played an official NBA game. The 22-year-old did his best, but The Beard was just too much for him. The former NBA MVP finished with 37 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists to lead Houston to a 109-96 victory against LA.

There's no telling how big Mann's role will be for the Clippers this season, but he's doing everything he can to learn from the best defender in the game. He wants to make sure that he's ready when his number is called, and he's really not thinking about when that time would come.

Right now, Mann is just trying to contribute in every little way possible.