We now know when Paul George could presumably make his debut in the Los Angeles Clippers‘ lineup.
As highly touted as the George-Kawhi Leonard pairing has been heading into the 2019-20 season, one key thing is being forgotten — George is injured. The 29-year-old veteran isn’t expected to make his return back to the lineup until after the season starts due to two different shoulder surgeries during the offseason.
Now we know when his “projected” return exactly is. According to head coach Doc Rivers, George will miss the first 10 games of the regular season — meaning his return date would be on Nov. 13 against the Houston Rockets at the very earliest.
Clippers haven’t given a concrete timetable on Paul George’s return. But Doc Rivers said in passing that Paul George “is not going to be here for the first 10.” Hence, George might be out until Nov. 13 in Houston
The news doesn’t exactly come as shocking, although 10 games is a major size considering it’s just an 82-game season. George did previously state before that he would make his return sometime in November, although I don’t anybody thought it would extend into mid-November.
Via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
“I will be out of the preseason,” George told ESPN. “As of now, I’ll be out of October fully, but who knows? We’ll see. In the November range is our target date.”
As Shelburne notes, the Clippers acquired George knowing that he was recovering from injuries while a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“George, 29, underwent right rotator cuff surgery to repair a partially torn tendon in his right shoulder in May, and a minor surgery to repair a partial tear of his left labrum in June. The Clippers traded for the perennial All-Star in July with the expectation he’d miss training camp and potentially the start of the season as he recovered from his injuries.”
George’s Injury Could Hurt Clippers’ Bid for Top Seed
George’s absence means that he will miss early-season matchups against the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors.
While ensuring that George is 100 percent before his return will be key, the All-Star forward’s absence from the lineup also means that the Clippers could fall behind in the Western Conference standings — possibly hurting their chances at the top overall seed come April.
It will be up to Leonard — who won Finals MVP and led the Raptors to an NBA title last season — to carry the ship while George recovers from his shoulder surgeries.
Clippers in the Running for Iguodala and Lowry?
The Clippers may be projected as the NBA title favorites heading into the season, but they’re still a popular team to acquire even more All-Stars.
That would be because based upon two separate reports, the Clippers could acquire Andre Iguodala and/or Kyle Lowry. In the case of Iguodala, the former Finals MVP is favoring either the Clippers or the Lakers in the case of a buyout. As far as Lowry is concerned, the Clippers were named as one of four potential suitors in a trade for the All-Star point guard.
While either of those scenarios won’t happen any time soon — probably around February if it does happen — it’s eye-opening to see what a destination Los Angeles has become for the Clippers.
The roster right now in October is stacked, but by April it might look even better.
Comments
Clippers Coach Reveals Severity of Paul George’s Injury, Possible Return Date