PLAYA VISTA – After weeks of speculation, head coach Tyronn Lue and the Los Angeles Clippers made their decision regarding Terance Mann. Alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Ivica Zubac, Mann was named the fifth Clippers starter for the team's regular season opener.

Lue confirmed the decision to start Terance Mann ahead of Friday's practice, their first after finishing the preseason with a 2-2 record. Mann started the first and last preseason games.

“It's Terance Mann,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “I just think just because of his versatility. I think being able to guard multiple positions, we can start him on a point guard, where we can put him on Steph [Curry] and Dame [Lillard] and guys like that. Then we can play him on [Lauri] Markkanen if we have to and just I think his versatility of being able to guard point guards as well as twos, threes and fours, I think makes the most sense right now. So that's what we're going to go with right now.”

This lineup of Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac actually played zero minutes together last season. Whether it was Westbrook getting acclimated to the team or George's injury in late March that changed everything, the Clippers never got a chance to see what their most versatile lineup could look like.

With Mann as the starter, the Clippers are expected to have Paul George and Kawhi Leonard each drop down a position. Lue, however, doesn't necessarily see positions on his team, but rather looks for strengths, weaknesses, and versatility of a five-man unit.

“I don't really think there's positions in basketball,” Lue added. “I think just have him on the floor and the sets we run are pretty interchangeable with the one, two, and three anyway, and so he knows the four as well, so it's pretty interchangeable.”

Terance Mann hasn't spoken to the media yet since being announced as the starter, but he's a guy who has been accepting of any role since his arrival in 2019.

“I told him, and he's fine with anything, like he's the best. No, really. Come off the bench, starting, it doesn't really matter. And those are the type of guys you want for your organization. Guys that all about winning, willing to play their role and like I said, he was excited, but it’s either way for him.”

The move to start Terance Mann comes just a day after Tyronn Lue came out in strong support of him and the Clippers roster as opening night nears.

“He's just mature and he understands the business,” Lue added before Thursday night's preseason finale when asked about the James Harden trade rumors possibly becoming a distraction. “And the good thing about it is your name's (on) all social media, whether it's true or not. Teams like T-Mann and we love T-Mann as well. So that's a good position to be in. It's different when guys don't want you, then you're out of the league.

“But we love T-Mann and T-Mann is going to be here, so we're not really worried about what they're saying outside and all the speculations or whatever. It's a good thing to be wanted, I'll tell you that.”

The Clippers will open up their 2023-24 regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, October 25th. It'll be the first time the league gets a look at Scoot Henderson and his Damian Lillard-less Blazers.