SAN DIEGO – When Kawhi Leonard suffered the ACL injury in the playoffs, the expectation was that he'd miss the entirety of the playoffs due to the fragility and seriousness of the injury. Leonard going down immediately opened the door for more playing opportunities for LA Clippers players like Terance Mann and Luke Kennard, and head coach Tyronn Lue didn't hold back either of them.

With Kawhi Leonard expected to miss a significant portion of the season, every player on the Clippers roster is going to have to do more. Obviously, it won't be any one player who can make up the impact that he brings on both ends of the floor. However, Mann and Kennard are two of the players the Clippers are expected to rely on early and often.

Terance Mann had a good regular season for the Clippers as a slasher and a good three-point shooter. That was nothing compared to the fantastic postseason he turned in, capped off by his 39-point performance in Game 6 against the Utah Jazz. More than just any one skill, Mann showed an all-around game that could help the Clippers in multiple ways.

So where does Mann go from here?

“I don't know,” Tyronn Lue said when asked about how Mann improves from last year. “I really don't. He's improved his shooting, he's improved attacking the basket, getting to the rim, he's improved his rebounding so I don't know what the next step is to be honest, but when he's on the floor, he makes this happen. We understand that.

“I think the biggest thing for me is, defensively, continue to keep getting better if I had to pick one thing. Be able to guard the point guards and then be able to guard bigger players if you gotta switch onto a four, be able to guard those guys as well. If there's one thing I gotta pick, I'd probably just say defensively.”

Mann, who turns 25 in mid-October, has a chance to take control of the second unit as its primary playmaker, scorer, and defender. Entering Day 1 of training camp, Lue mentioned the starting lineup he wanted to take a hard look at was Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Paul George, Marcus Morris, and Ivica Zubac.

That would mean the keys to the second unit are essentially handed to Terance Mann and Luke Kennard.

“He's just playing with so much more confidence,” Lue added of Mann. “He just carries himself like he's a vet. He's only in his third year, but his performance he had in the playoffs, the chances he had to grow and get better and what he did in that Game 6 against Utah was phenomenal. When he's on the floor now, the game has slowed down for him, he understands and picks and chooses his spots. He's really grown as a player.

“When I first got here, he was a point guard. Last year he was a three or a four. Then in the playoffs, he played the five. If you just put him on the floor, good things will happen, and that's a good thing to have.”

The Clippers and Kawhi Leonard have not ruled the two-time NBA Finals MVP out for the season. With no timetable or return imminent, everyone's going to have to do more, says Tyronn Lue.

“I think everyone's role has to increase with Kawhi being out so [Terance] is ready to take the step out there. Just watching him play the last few weeks, the maturity he brings to the table, the hard work he brings to the table, how he's improved his shot. He's been putting in the work in and it's paid off, so we just have to continue to keep developing.”

Terance Mann isn't the only Clippers player that's expected to take a big leap this season.

Luke Kennard slowly worked his way into game shape over the course of the regular season last year. By the time the playoffs rolled around, he didn't pick up a significant role, but it certainly was crucial.

Kennard has multiple instances where he provided an offensive boost for his Clippers in both the Mavericks series and the Jazz series. Whether it be dribble-handoffs or catching the ball on the move, Kennard's role, and the way the Clippers plan to use him, will only increase with opportunity.

“It'll be a combination of both of those, but a little bit more,” Lue said regarding Kennard. “We’re working on a lot of stuff now, split actions, move without the basketball. We have a thing we call ‘Find Luke’ or ‘Hunt Luke’ where he’s coming off either side and just kind of playing the game and just looking for him. He’s been playing well, very confident. I like what he did at the end of the last season in the playoffs in just being aggressive. He’s gonna be big for us this season.”

Last season, Tyronn Lue expressed how much the team pushed Luke Kennard to shoot the ball whenever he saw a sliver of space between himself and his defender. Early on, he passed up some good looks. As the year went on, Kennard let it fly, and that's exactly what the Clippers are going to need.

“Yesterday, he passed up an open shot and I took him out the scrimmage. He understands what he's out there to do. He's not out there to guard anyone, he's out there to shoot the basketball and we gotta make sure we're looking for him.”

Regardless of whether Terance Mann or Luke Kennard start, both are expected to take on significant roles for the Clippers this year as the team continues to play without Kawhi Leonard. Both seem very much ready for their respective roles.