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Clippers star Paul George handles the ball as Denver Nuggets guard Justin Holiday defends during the first half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard right, fouls Denver Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson during the first half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson dunks during the first half of their preseason game against the Clippers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets guard Justin Holiday (9) defends as Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, right, looks to pass and Kawhi Leonard posts up during the first half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, left, defends against Denver Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson during the first half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson handles the ball as Clippers star Paul George defends during the first half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Clippers guard Norman Powell takes a shot as the Denver Nuggets’ Zeke Nnaji defends during the second half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan shoots as Clippers forward Nicolas Batum, left, and center Ivica Zubac defend during the first half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan reacts after a foul call during the first half of their preseason game against the Clippers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Clippers forward Terance Mann handles the ball during the second half of their preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Denver Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson, left, shoots as Clippers forward Paul George defends during the first half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther shoots as Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Clippers guard Bones Hyland takes a shot in front of Denver Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson during the second half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson dunks during the first half of their preseason game against the Clippers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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The Clippers’ Xavier Moon shoots during the second half of their preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Clippers center Ivica Zubac dunks as Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson defends during the second half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Clippers guard Jordan Miller shoots as Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson defends during the second half of their preseason game on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets forward Braxton Key dunks during the second half of their preseason game against the Clippers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic applauds on the bench during the second half of their preseason game against the Clippers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Jokic sat out, as did most of the Nuggets’ core rotation players. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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The Clippers’ Xavier Moon dunks during the second half of their preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Clippers forward Robert Covington, left, and Xavier Moon celebrate after a basket during the second half of their preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson takes a shot during the first half of their preseason game against the Clippers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Clippers forward Moussa Diabate shoots during the second half of their preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic, left, walks with forward Peyton Watson (8) on the sideline during the second half of their preseason game against the Clippers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
LOS ANGELES — The Clippers played their third preseason game on Tuesday night with a third different starting power forward, a move that could determine an everyday starter. Or not.
Coach Tyronn Lue said switching Terance Mann, Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum could be something the Clippers do all season. Sort of a power-forward-by-committee approach.
“I kind of thought about it both ways,” Lue said. “I think it’s going to be one of those positions where we can just kind of sub a guy in and out depending on who we play.”
On Tuesday, it was Nicolas Batum’s turn to start alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Ivica Zubac and Russell Westbrook as the Clippers defeated the defending champion Denver Nuggets, 116-103, with the Nuggets sitting their stars for the exhibition game at Crypto.com Arena.
Previously, Mann had started in that forward spot in the team’s first game against the Utah Jazz in Hawaii, then Covington started against the Jazz in Seattle last week.
“All three guys bring something different to the table when we talk about defense,” Lue said. “T-Mann can start, he can guard the point guard tonight and guard the four tomorrow. Nico can guard the point guard in the four tonight and RoCo is more of an off-the-ball deflection, steals, weak-side defender type guy. So, they do some different things.
“And so, it could be by committee … every night could be something different.”
Lue sees the bevy of available talent at the No. 4 spot as a good problem to have this season. He likened it to Team USA, on which he served as an assistant coach during the summer.
“You have a lot of guys who deserve to play but you can’t play all those guys,” he said. “For me, just having the constant dialogue with the players and communicating and just letting them know that this is what I’m looking at, this is the sample size of games that I’m looking at and you just got to be ready.
Batum, a 16-year veteran, isn’t getting caught up in the who-starts-when conversation. He has started his share of games throughout his career; not starting every game isn’t going to tarnish his resume.
“I mean, the starting stuff is a coaching decision, but I want to show that I can bring something to the team,” Batum said.
What Batum brings is versatility. He can guard one through four, rebound and score. In his three seasons with the Clippers, he has averaged 7.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and added 0.6 blocked shots per game.
He played the first 8-plus minutes Tuesday and pulled down three rebounds and collected one assist. He missed his only field goal attempt, a 3-pointer, before being replaced by Covington at that spot.
“I want to be the glue guy on offense and defense, like a connection between guys,” Batum said. “RoCo and I pretty much do the same things.”
The Clippers starters took a seat after the first eight-plus minutes of the first quarter, came back in the second quarter and sat the rest of the game. George had 10 of his game-high 23 points (9-for-13 shooting) in the opening quarter before going to the bench. Zubac finished with 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting, eight rebounds and three blocks in 23 minutes, while Westbrook had seven points, five rebounds and seven assists.
Zubac returned to the court to start the second quarter and was followed by Leonard, George and Westbrook three minutes later. Covington stayed in the game, getting his chance to play with the known starters.
Batum also returned minutes later and played the final 7:47 of the first half, burying a 3-pointer that caught the attention of Covington, who gave him a “three-fingers up” sign. The French forward finished with six points and four rebounds.
“It’s not a competition, but what I want to do is show that I can guard one through five, and on offense, I can create stuff. Ty is just trying to find the right combinations and if it’s me, good. If it’s RoCo or T-Mann that’s good, too.”
Batum said the number of minutes each of the power forwards played each night shouldn’t matter in the long run. Winning games is the end goal.
“I don’t care if I start or not,” he said. “Whatever they ask me to do, I will do it. I mean, I’m at a part in my career where I’ll be like I don’t have to start. Whatever you want me to do Coach, I will do.”
NOTES
Bones Hyland and Xavier Moon each scored 12 points off the bench for the Clippers. … Rookie Hunter Tyson scored 19 points and former Clipper Reggie Jackson scored 15 for the Nuggets. Braxton Key added 14 points and 10 rebounds.