INGLEWOOD, CA — Whether it be used for finalizing starting spots, finding out which rotational pieces work best together, or narrowing down the roster with two-way players, the final week of training camp has arrived. For the LA Clippers, only one starting spot has been up for grabs throughout camp, but that appears to be close to finalized.
Head coach Tyronn Lue announced shortly after media day that Bradley Beal will be the starting shooting guard when healthy, meaning he'll lineup alongside James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac in the first five. But the last spot — the power forward spot — is the only player Lue would not commit to naming.
Derrick Jones Jr. and newly acquired John Collins have been the two players presumably in a training camp battle for the starting power forward slot. From videos posted to the team's social media accounts, Jones Jr. has been running with the starting unit while Collins has been playing primarily with the reserves.
John Collins, who is in a contract year with the Clippers, said early in camp that he's not worried about whether he starts or comes off the bench.
“Sort of, but not really at the end of the day,” John Collins told ClutchPoints when asked if starting is important to him. “Whether I am or not, as long as I’m making the biggest impact, the most efficient impact, whatever’s best for the team, that’s what matters more. Starting is cool, but it is what it is.”
Is starting for the Clippers important for John Collins?
“Sort of, but not really at the end of the day. Wherever I am, as long as I’m making the biggest impact, the most efficient impact, whatever’s best for the team, that’s what matters more. Starting is cool, but it is what… pic.twitter.com/TPRCSaMFOq
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 4, 2025
Derrick Jones Jr. started 55 of the 77 games he played for the Clippers last season and recorded career highs in points per game, steals per game, three-point percentage, and minutes played per game. More importantly, Jones Jr. filled a need for the Clippers as a 3-and-D guy.
“Whatever the team needs me to do, that's always been my motto,” Jones Jr. said when asked about starting. “I'm that type of guy, and I'm always going to be that type of guy. Whether it's starting, playing 36 minutes, 48, 20, 15. It is what it is. I just want to go out there and have an impact on the game and try to help my team win.
“[My job] doesn't change really. My job is always going to be on their best offensive player and be as aggressive as I can offensively. Don't shy away from shots. My team always tells me to take the shots that's always there, so why would I not?”
A couple of social media clips aren't an indication that Collins is coming off the bench, but when you also consider both how much Tyronn Lue values lineup continuity, overall fit, and the fact that the Clippers simply do not want to wear their stars down, there's a strong case to be made for Jones Jr. being the starting four on opening night.
Last season, the four-man lineup of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac played 321 minutes across 27 games once Kawhi Leonard returned from injury. The results were a net rating of +22.6, meaning they outscored their opponents by 22.6 points per 100 possessions, with an offensive rating of 128.4 and a defensive rating of 105.7.
Among four-man lineups that played at least 320 minutes last season, the Clippers' four man lineup of Harden, Leonard, Jones Jr., and Zubac ranked second in overall net rating behind only the Memphis Grizzlies four-man lineup of Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Zach Edey.
When those numbers were presented to him, Tyronn Lue's response may have given away who he and the team believes is the best fit in the starting unit.
“I really haven't looked at the numbers, but it's moreso about fit,” Lue told ClutchPoints Tuesday of what he likes with Jones Jr. in the lineup with Leonard, Harden, and Zubac. “I think having [Derrick Jones Jr.] on the floor or [Kris Dunn] on the floor at all times to guard that point-of-attack guard, I think, is very important for us. And then Bradley [Beal] and Kawhi [Leonard] being able to guard the second and third best guys. I think it takes some pressure of them. We can't have them trying to chase around Stephen [Curry] or De'Aaron [Fox] or none of those guys. So it just makes more sense.”
Kawhi Leonard is capable of defending with the best in the world, but it certainly doesn't make sense to start a lineup where he's tasked with defending the opposing team's best player, often a guard. At least not in the regular season.
With a league that revolves around high-octane point guards, Derrick Jones Jr. is capable of taking the defensive assignment for the starting lineup. And when he's not on the floor, the Clippers can throw in Kris Dunn, who would've been named to an All-Defensive Team last season had it not been for the 20-minute minimum requirement last season.
Jones Jr. starting allows Collins to play with a secondary lineup that features a floor-spacing big man in Brook Lopez, who really could do wonders alongside Collins.
“For me personally, it helps me roll, dunk, and me attacking the basket.” John Collins said of Brook Lopez's shot-making ability after practice Tuesday. “It's really just about spacing. It allows us to almost do whatever we want because our five-man is away from the rim and that just opens the court up for everybody. Driving lanes, drive-and-kicks. Brook is super versatile being able to post, score in the mid-range, score trey-balls, duck and seal smaller defenders. Brook's going to be amazing for us with his versatility, his size, and his strength.”
The Clippers have two preseason games remaining before their regular season kicks off on Wednesday, September 22nd against the Utah Jazz. Bradley Beal and Bogdan Bogdanovic will not play in Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings, but Lue says he has a chance to play Friday against the Warriors.
“If he keeps progressing the way he is, if things are looking good, then hopefully we'll get to a chance him on Friday,” Lue told ClutchPoints over the weekend. “So we'll just see. Like I said, he's feeling better, he's feeling good, and long as things are going in the right direction like they have been, hopefully we get a chance to see him on Friday.”
The Clippers scrimmaged again Tuesday, but Beal did not participate. According to Tyronn Lue, the Clippers, “didn't want him going back-to-back days,” implying that the Clippers practiced on Monday as well.
Following this two game trip, LA will return home for a final series of practices before flying to Utah on October 21st.
