Getty Images Lou Williams #23 and Patrick Beverley #21 of the L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are off to an amazing start to the season and currently place second in the Western Conference with a 20-8 record. They’re one of four teams in the league to have won at least 20 games and are in the top-10 for both offensive and defensive ratings.
These stats are impressive, considering that the team has yet to play with a full healthy roster. Their superstar Kawhi Leonard has missed games due to load management and Paul George missed the first 11 games of the season as he was recovering from surgeries in both of his shoulders. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Landry Shamet, Rodney McGruder and JaMychal Green have also missed games due to injuries. Combined, these players have missed a total of 59 games this year. The only players to have stayed healthy are Maurice Harkless, Montrezl Harrell and Ivica Zubac.
According to Clippers’ reporter Jovan Buha, the Clippers’ injury report listed Williams, Beverley and Green as questionable tonight. There are no players listed as out, therefore this could be the first game of the season that the Clippers have a full healthy roster.
Clippers’ Most Recent Injuries
Shamet was the first Clippers’ player to have gotten injured during play. Shamet began the season as a starter and started all 11 games he played. Though this was before George was healthy, Shamet proved that he was an important asset to the team, averaging 9.3 points a game while shooting 38.7% from beyond the arc. During the Clippers’ game against the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 11, Shamet was injured while defending Fred VanVleet. He was taken out of the game and didn’t return as it was later reported that he suffered from a grade 2 high sprain on his left ankle. Before leaving the game, Shamet posted six points, two assists and one rebound.
Beverley is another star player that plays a very crucial role on the team. As a starter, he is scrappy defender and is currently averaging 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals a game. During the team’s most recent game against the Raptors, Beverley took a hard elbow hit to the head by Marc Gasol while defending OG Anunoby. Beverley went down and became confused as the game went on. He was later taken out of the game and didn’t return as the team reported that he suffered from a concussion. Beverley recorded 11 points, two assists and four rebounds before exiting the game. He has now sat out for the past two games.
Patrick Beverley has gone to the locker room. Here’s the play:
Williams is the team’s main sixth man and was out the last game with a sprained ankle. Green also took a hard fall while playing against the Washington Wizards and suffered a tailbone contusion. McGruder is another player on the Clippers to have suffered an injury this season. During the Clippers-Grizzlies game on Nov. 27, McGruder left the game early clutching his hamstring.
It is possible that tonight will be the first night that the Clippers have a full healthy roster since the start of the season. Fans will have to wait and see which players take the court tonight against the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m. PST.