Clippings: Terance Mann is starting to cook... on the court

Terance Mann debuted his cooking show “Mann v. Food” back in May, but he’s never really brought that same level of heat to his game, until now.

With the Clippers’ three perimeter starters on the shelf indefinitely, Mann has been pushed into the starting lineup, and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity. The second-year player has had two of the best games of his career to start this road trip — and two of the most impactful, considering the Clippers are jockeying for seeding in the Western Conference.

Mann’s presence is felt all over the court. He’s a nominal guard, but he was second on the team in rebounds with nine against the Hawks. He creates havoc on defense and pushes the pace in the open court. He’s also become increasingly adept in the halfcourt on offense in terms of finding his teammates or simply swinging the ball to get better shots; he also puts pressure on the rim and earns foul throws, seven over the last two contests. Mann’s 3-point shot is coming along as well, and he hit a crucial three to tie the game at 45 in the first half and officially erase an 18-point lead.

After the loss to Atlanta, Reggie Jackson called his backcourt mate’s play “stellar” and that it was tough that the Clippers couldn’t get the win to reward that 10 point, four steal performance. Mann brought that same level of intensity Thursday in the hopes of getting a different result.

“He’s been great, he’s gonna be a great player, step up the last two games, was huge,” Nicolas Batum said postgame. Ty Lue called Mann’s performance “terrific”. Patrick Beverley chimed in on Twitter to share his praise.

The most important thing was that the team got a win. Mann’s increasing comfort on the court means that he could be a big part of more of those victories in the near future.

More news for Friday:

• With the Washington Wizards in disarray, the next name on the trade market could be Bradley Beal. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Clippers “would love to be able to get involved”, but a deal is unlikely due to LA’s limited assets.
• Who are some guards the Clippers could realistically target? FanSided has names.
• Of course, the reason the Clippers are theoretically searching for backcourt reinforcements is because Lou Williams hasn’t been himself, as Clipperholics notes.
• There’s more good than bad in Clipperland, though, and Matthew Kunkel identified why the starting lineup has been so dominant.
• John Hollinger named his all-surprise team of the first quarter, and one Clipper made the list.
• The NBA is considering adding an 18th roster spot, but there is debate as to whether that player should be a two-way or any veteran.
• Dr. J says that Kawhi Leonard is his favorite player to watch in today’s game.

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