With how competitive the Western Conference is turning out to be, the Clippers can’t afford to fall any further behind. As a result, head coach Tyronn Lue needs to introduce ways of playing that maximize the talent on the roster instead of the stagnant and uninspiring lineups we have seen run out. Russell Westbrook and James Harden don’t work together as starters, so what can the Clippers do to optimize their team?

Today, we suggest three different starting five combinations that the Clippers can use to save their season.

Starting Lineup No. 1

Starters: Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac

Bench: James Harden, Bones Hyland, Norman Powell, PJ Tucker, Mousa Diabate

The one rotational blow that the Clippers have to deal with is Mason Plumlee being out for the next couple of months with a sprained MCL. That deals a blow to the barebones Clippers rotation but could open up minutes for a young star to shine. As far as the starting lineup is concerned, this combination suggests that Lue move James Harden to the bench and continues to let Russell Westbrook be the starting point guard.

Playing Westbrook and Terance Mann allows the Clippers to play faster and attack teams on the fast break. In addition, it continues the positive chemistry Westbrook has built with his teammates since last season. He’s had a solid start to the year, averaging 14.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.0 assists and looking better integrated into the Clippers than iso-heavy Harden.

Harden’s playmaking capabilities could unlock the scoring prowess of Bones and Powell, along with continuing his on-court relationship with P.J. Tucker. Diabate being a more explosive and younger center could give Harden a genuine roll threat to maximize his playmaking as well as scoring opportunities. It adds balance to the roster and makes the Clippers a threat for all 48 minutes of the game.

Starting Lineup No. 2

Starters: James Harden, Norman Powell, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac 

Bench: Russell Westbrook, Bones Hyland, Terance Mann, P.J. Tucker, Moussa Diabate 

A solution many are advocating is Harden starting as the lone point guard with Westbrook manning the bench unit. With Harden’s playmaking being impactful enough for him to win a scoring title on top Eastern seed, it’s clear that Harden excels as a point guard and not a shooting guard, the role the Clippers are playing him in now. He’s not the same player we saw in Houston, so expecting him to recreate that backcourt with Westbrook was always unfair. His scoring fall-off has been evident, with Harden iso possessions completely alienating his All-Star teammates.

Harden starting would lead to him getting a lineup of two-way players around him and a big man like Zubac. Powell moving to the starting lineup to add spacing alongside George and Kawhi Leonard would be a cheat code, as Harden excels with an open floor. Zubac’s screening isn’t as proficient as Joel Embiid’s or even Clint Capela’s but can help Harden bring variation into the Clippers’ offense instead of holding the ball to be a scorer.

Westbrook running a fast-paced bench unit alongside Bones Hyland sounds ideal. Hyland can pick up the scoring shortfall left by Powell going to the starting lineup while Westbrook can use his talents to unlock a multi-shooter lineup with a role-playing big man in the starters.

Starting Lineup No. 2

Starters: James Harden, Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac

Bench: Russell Westbrook, Bones Hyland, Norman Powell, P.J. Tucker, Moussa Diabate

Another interesting combination could be to run Harden as the starter alongside Terance Mann. Mann has shown multi-positional versatility in his NBA career sliding across three positions when called upon. Having a versatile off-ball guard like him could help Harden maximize his creation and also have someone create for him to score. This combination, along with the lineup with Westbrook and Mann could further highlight Kawhi and PG’s scoring ability.

Leonard has been relying on his mid-range arsenal and getting buckets that aren’t within the flow of the offense. He’s averaged 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds. and 3.0 assists since Harden has come, so adjusting to a role that helps him show his value as one of the best spot-up shooters in the league could be mutually beneficial. Paul George has proven he can still be a high-level scoring option and should be the primary scoring target for the Clippers regardless of the lineup.

Westbrook getting both Hyland and Powell off the bench again lends well to a pacey three-guard lineup that not many teams are equipped to stop, especially in minutes without their starters. Tucker may struggle to fit into these lineups, but the Clippers could also promote Kobe Brown to get more serious minutes if he earns them. Regardless, this combination will maximize the scoring opportunities of the starting lineup while also relying on trusted ball-handlers off the bench.

Are Lineup Changes Enough?

The Clippers could run these lineups and go through a process of trial and error, but is that even enough for what they want? This is supposed to be a title-winning group, as evidenced by the Clippers trade for Paul George in 2019 and reinforced with the sacrifice of more future assets to acquire Harden. These lineups may make the Clippers more potent, but will not be a replacement for having the right roster around these players to maximize their talent.

Adding some wing players after giving up four players in that position to the 76ers will be key. Whether that happens through a trade of the many ball-handling options or one of the centers remains to be seen, as the free agency market has slim pickings for what they need. They could get Stanley Johnson out of the G League and see what’s what, but that can provide marginal improvements, if any.

They sacrificed depth to get Harden and now don’t have much variety in play styles. All likely lineups will feature multiple ball-handlers, taking touches away from the likes of Paul George, who’s been the Clippers’ best scorer so far. He’s averaging 23.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists and should be the primary option. But the Clippers have too many mouths to feed offensively and not enough players that’ll get dirty defensively to make it possible. These lineups are a start, but it’ll take more to rescue them from the play-in tournament or worse, the lottery.