Fansided

30 biggest questions for the 2018-19 NBA season

By Hunter Kuffel

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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HONOLULU, HI – SEPTEMBER 30: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Sydney Kings and Marcin Gortat #13 and Tobias Harris #34 of the Los Angeles Clippers battle for position under the basket during the fourth quarter at the Stan Sheriff Center on September 30, 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

25. Like, what are the Clippers?

The Clippers have one of the hardest to understand rosters in the league at this point, and it could get thrown even further into uncharted territory if Jimmy Butler manages to make his way there before the season starts.

Let’s start with the backcourt. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Avery Bradley, Milos Teodosic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Sindarius Thornwell all have a legitimate argument to play 20 minutes a game or more. That’s so many guys! My guess is that PatBev and Bradley will start, with Lou Williams subbing in fairly early at shooting guard and SGA backing up Beverley at point guard. Where does that leave Milos though? And shouldn’t rookie Jerome Robinson get some run?

Once the season gets going, I’m guessing some of this will get sorted out by injury. Teodosic and Bradley will very likely miss some time, and Patrick Beverley hasn’t had the healthiest few years either. However, it will be an awkward rotation to start the year while everyone is healthy. A Jimmy Butler trade that ships a few of these guys out would certainly make Doc Rivers’s life easier.

Let’s move on to the frontcourt, which is just as confusing. Tobias Harris is safely the best player on this team, so he’ll see plenty of minutes at both the three and the four. Danilo Gallinari will likely do the same for the 50-ish games that he plays. From there, Rivers will have to sort through Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Tyrone Wallace, Wesley Johnson, Mike Scott, Montrezl Harrell, Marcin Gortat and John Wick villain Boban Marjanovic.

Johnson and Boban will probably be reduced to spot minutes, which makes this rotation a bit easier to envision. Throwing in Jimmy Butler would obviously change everything, but this team will have plenty of intrigue without him.