Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sat out another game Saturday, but the Clippers are optimistic that they’ll both return soon, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Leonard and George were both able to practice Friday, and they will join the team for its four-game road trip that begins Monday at Charlotte.
“They felt good,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “It felt good and so, hopefully, we get them back very soon and they’re going on the trip. So that’s positive.”
Leonard, who has only played five games this season, is dealing with a sprained ankle that has sidelined him for the past six games. George has missed seven straight contests with a strained right hamstring. The Clippers, who were considered among the pre-season favorites in the West, are off to a 13-11 start as they wait to get back to full strength.
“I mean they definitely want to play,” Lue said. “We just gotta be smart about it. You hate to see this happen. Kawhi, who has missed 15 months of basketball, you think he don’t want to play? He wants to play. PG wants to play, and it’s just not the right time. They’re still rehabbing, still progressing and doing the right things, trying to get to that point. Hopefully we can get it done on this trip. Being optimistic about it.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- John Wall‘s minutes restriction is preventing Lue from considering him for a starting role, Youngmisuk adds. Clippers starting point guard Reggie Jackson has been less than 100% since a hard fall on Tuesday, but Wall is limited to about 26 minutes per night and hasn’t played in back-to-back games.
- The Lakers were determined to get a victory Friday in Milwaukee for Darvin Ham, who spent four years as an assistant with the Bucks before becoming the head coach in L.A., per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “It’s like a player going back to his previous team for the first time,” Anthony Davis said. “As a head coach, it’s that first win and then going back to your former team. And I think this one, without it being said before the game, we wanted to win it for him, obviously.”
- Lakers star LeBron James is questionable for Sunday’s game at Washington due to left ankle soreness, Marc Stein tweets. James returned to action eight days ago after missing two weeks with an adductor strain.
Clippers just tear it down. Kawhi is just way to soft to build your team around and he suckered you into trading for PG and giving up all those picks plus SGA.
It was cool at the start with the battle of LA and stuff but now days he just is never on the court.
Knicks will help you out.
Kawhi Leonard and RoCo for Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickly and 3 first round picks
Knicks line up
Brunson Fouriner Kawhi Toppin Robinson
DRose Grimes Reddish RoCo Hartenstein
Kawhi now actually has to show up and work or get tourched by knicks fans constantly. Overall the team ain’t bad tho, Brunson plays off Kawhi like he did Luka in Dallas. Fouriner as a 3rd/4th option and Toppin getting a really good opportunity. Off the bench DRose leads a solid second unit. Should be good defensively with Grimes Reddish and RoCo and have some floor spacing for DRose to attack the paint.
Clippers try run it back with
Reggie Barrett PG Randle Zubac
Wall Kennard Powell Morris Batum
Could actually do alright with this team. Barrett would develop really well under PG, same with Quickly learning from John Wall. A PG-Randle lead offence would be interesting. Probably iso heavy but I’m saying that both guys are good passers and can make plays for others. That second unit with Wall leading, Kennard spacing, Powell the scoring threat and Morris would be a very good group. However if they started losing a bunch they could easily turn to young guys like Quickly and BJ Boston. Yeah it would probably be a backwards step in going to the championship not having Kawhi but overall you’ll win more games and come playoffs have a team that’s actually played together, knows each other, built up some chemistry and would be a very dangerous side. On their day they could probably beat anyone.
When it’s all said and done and PG13 has never won anything and the futility in LA has run it’s course:
link to thesixersense.com
Imagining a line-up of Embiid, PG13, Simmons, JJ and as the article states – what if they still went after Butler and Tobias.
Clippers/Bulls are having some franchise difficulties this season.
Clips are fine, they could care less about the reg season
This is a roster built for the playoffs if it’s fully healthy , the reg season is just an obstacle for them