Immediate John Collins Refinement That Will Boost Clippers Out of Mediocrity
To escape the middle of the Western Conference standings, Tyronn Lue only needs to make one simple adjustment involving John Collins. With four games played and a fifth set for tonight at Intuit Dome, the LA Clippers hold a 2–2 record, standing ninth and tied with the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets. At this point, LA can fairly be described as mediocre.
The Key Adjustment
The best path forward is ensuring that John Collins plays at least 15 minutes in each half. He currently averages 25.5 minutes per game, coming off the bench for Ivica Zubac, Kawhi Leonard, or Derrick Jones Jr.—insufficient time for the Clippers to secure more confident victories.
Collins’ Impact and Team Consistency
Expanding Collins’ minutes would provide a consistent and long-term boost to counter the inconsistencies shown by several rotation players on both offense and defense. His energy, defense, and scoring make a noticeable difference when he’s on the floor.
Coaching Decisions and Lineup Reasoning
When finalizing the starting lineup, the coaching staff leaned heavily on last season’s analytics. They needed a player with a similar spark to Norman Powell, which led to Bradley Beal becoming Lue’s starting shooting guard. As LA had little previous data on Collins, and Derrick Jones Jr. was performing well, the staff saw no urgent reason to alter the starters.
“They needed a player with the same type of ‘pop’ as Norman Powell, so Bradley Beal became Lue's starting shooting guard.”
Author’s Summary
Tyronn Lue can elevate the Clippers from mediocrity by increasing John Collins’ minutes, giving LA a balanced and reliable presence on both ends of the court.