The Clippers Are Starting a Lineup That Defies Space, Time, and Logic

The Los Angeles Clippers are rolling out a starting five on Wednesday that looks like it was generated by a broken time machine.

According to the latest lineup alert, Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Larry Sanders, Derrick Jones Jr., and Reggie Jackson will take the floor to open the game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Lineup alert: Clippers will start Garland, Dunn, Sanders, Jones Jr., Jackson on Wednesday."

Yes, you read that right. Larry Sanders and Reggie Jackson are starting an NBA basketball game in the year 2026. If you had this exact combination on your preseason bingo card, you are either a time traveler or you need to be studied by science.

The Clippers are sitting at 1-2 after dropping back-to-back games, including a 125-117 loss to these same Lakers just a few days ago. Clearly, the coaching staff decided that the best way to fix the rotation was to throw three point guards and a blast from the past at the problem.

From a betting perspective, trying to project player props for this group is the definition of high-risk behavior. Garland is the obvious offensive engine here, but pairing him with Dunn and Jackson means the Clippers are going all-in on a chaotic, guard-heavy experiment. Meanwhile, Derrick Jones Jr. is going to have to cover roughly 400 square feet of airspace on defense just to keep this unit afloat.

We will see if this fever dream of a lineup can actually steal a win in the rematch on Wednesday night. If it works, it is a stroke of genius. If it fails, we might see five completely different guys starting by the time they fly to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on Friday.