Wesley Johnson is the likely starter for Friday's exhibition opener, Ben Bolch of the LA Times reports.

Johnson is the likely starter for Friday's exhibition opener, Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Analysis:

Johnson appears to have the upper hand over Paul Pierce and Josh Smith for the starting small forward gig, though it's unclear what kind of workload he'll see from a minutes perspective. Pierce and Smith are obviously more proven commodities, though each may see more specialized roles off the bench. Placing Johnson in the starting five would enable him to focus more intently on the defensive end of the court, which might rank as a higher priority for the Clippers. Of course, plenty can change before the start of the regular season, but as of Thursday, coach Doc Rivers appears to be leaning toward Johnson.