Through 20 games, the Clippers have already used eight different starting lineups and countless second-unit combinations as injuries continue to disrupt their rotation, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.
Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Luke Kennard have been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Pacers as they all remain sidelined with no set timetable to return. Leonard continues to deal with a sprained right ankle that has limited him to five games so far, George is out of action with a strained hamstring and Kennard is nursing a strained calf muscle.
John Wall said it’s up to the rest of the roster to find ways to win until those players can return.
“You know, sometimes it’s not good to lose your best two players, but there is always the next man up,” Wall said. “We all put the work in. We all are veterans. We all know how to play the right way. You just go out there and execute. That’s the simplest thing you can do.”
If there’s a bright side for coach Tyronn Lue, it’s that none of the injuries are expected to be long-term. It’s a different situation than last year when Leonard missed the entire season and George also had a lengthy absence. Lue said he feels “pretty good about the situation right now and how guys are progressing.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Suns forward Cameron Johnson is celebrating his progress as he works to return from a meniscus tear in his right knee, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I jumped on it and I was shooting (on Wednesday),” said Johnson, who is projected to miss one to two months. “And I did more cardio and I was able to kind of let rip on the bike and get my heart rate up. When we go from playing every day, we’re sweating and running, that’s cardio. After surgery, it’s a little limited with those options. To be able to get back, work up a sweat and get my heart rate up and explore some new movements post-surgery, it’s my win for (Wednesday).”
- Even coach Monty Williams can’t fully explain why Chris Paul remains unavailable, Rankin states in a separate story. Paul missed his ninth straight game tonight for the West-leading Suns. “My YouTube degree doesn’t go into medical,” Williams told reporters. “I just wait for them to tell me he can play. We’re just not there yet. I don’t have anything to add to that. If he was able to play, they’d be like, he’s ready to go. He’s just not there yet.”
- After missing tonight’s game with a left calf contusion, Lakers big man Anthony Davis is expected to return Monday, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Yes I totally get these players with these ailments and missing games. Left calf contusion and other stuff like the back and the hips and the shoulder and the ankles.
The NBA is very rough in fact when I was a kid a professional athlete (NFL) told me the NBA is the roughest sport of all because of the physical nature yet with no pads like hockey or football.
There’s elbows and “sort of tackles” yet with no grass or body armor. No wonder these ex-nba guys walk the way they do and after all these years of outdoor pickup ball I’m limping along in much the same manner.
All that to say I totally get the load management. You’re not 100% go ahead and sit out. They didn’t do that 30 years ago but it’s a new era today. We may not agree but the rules are definitely different.
30 years ago people wore neck braces during games… They just played through it more often…
Hence so many former players walk like they are 20-30 years older than they are…
The great risk of injury in the NBA has nothing to do with the elbows flying around. It has everything to do with the leaping. Second to that, the hard start and stop pivoting with bursts of speed and changing direction in sneakers designed to give maximum grip. Take all that and expecting a guy to play most of the game with few minutes of rest to get a win, there you have the difference from other sports. Fights in the NBA have contributed to how many injuries? Sure there’s an errant elbow now and again but that’s not shredding knees and ankles and calves and hamstrings. There’s no epidemic of broken noses. Padding won’t save players from a lot of injury. Biggest risk is a guy goes up in the air at high speed hoping he comes down safely. Or he is hopping after rebounds like his legs are pogo sticks. Other sports don’t have that particular type of torture happen every game, every quarter, to most of the players.
Good post neo. Well said.
Load management is collusionary in nature now. There is a clear unspoken agreement to rest players in such ways that allows the lesser paid ones do all the grunt work.
In theory you will go fifty, fifty and be right in the middle of it all the way to the break.
It is clearly done in such a way now that no team has a clear advantage over the other when they play.
People seems to forget that nba players are tall and heavy, with “all mass” in shoulders, so no wonder knees are cracking.