The Los Angeles Clippers will be without five valuable players, including two former NBA All-Stars, in their first regular-season game without superstar Kawhi Leonard.
According to the injury report, the Clippers have ruled out five players for today’s regular season opener against the Sacramento Kings due to injuries.
Former All-Star Bradley Beal is out while managing knee inflammation and Brandon Ingram remains sidelined following offseason surgery to repair a partially torn right Achilles tendon.
Joining them on the sidelines are Max Strus, who is recovering from a right foot plantar fascia tear suffered during the preseason, and rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who is unavailable as he continues his rehab from Lisfranc surgery.
Additionally, Jordan Miller is out long-term following a surgical procedure to repair a torn left rotator cuff.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is giving star guard Darius Garland the keys to lead the revamped offensive unit.
Additionally, Lue confirmed that center Isaiah Jackson will secure the starting nod at center, operating alongside Rui Hachimura at power forward and Derrick Jones Jr. at small forward.
The remaining starting backcourt spot next to Garland is slated likely for defensive specialist Kris Dunn, leaving fifth-overall rookie draft pick Keaton Wagler and Kobe Sanders to absorb elevated minutes off the bench to help compensate for the team’s limited perimeter depth.
The game comes after the publicized offseason salary cap scandal and subsequent blockbuster trade that sent Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors.
Ty Lue Reveals True Feelings About The Post-Kawhi Clippers
Lue has been the Clippers’ head coach for the past seven years, but this is the first time in a long time that he would not be coaching a team with championship hopes.
However, he has full trust in the squad they built after trading away Kawhi Leonard in the offseason.
“I think we can surprise a lot of people,” he said on media day. “It’s been difficult but I give our players a lot of credit … the leadership is great [and] the morale is great, even in these tough situations. That’s good to see, when you have your players coming in every day, giving everything they have; a lot of teams don’t have that.”
Brandon Ingram, the main piece the Clippers got in the Kawhi deal, also echoed the same sentiment as the team wants to play with less pressure this season.
“I know [there are] little to no expectations for us this year,” Ingram said on media day. “We have enough in the building to compete. This is what we love to do. So, we’ll go out and compete every single night, learn, go on to the next game and get better and better.”
The Clippers missed the playoffs last year after losing in the play-in tournament.
How To Watch Clippers’ Season Opener Vs The Kings?
The game is scheduled to tip off at 10:30 PM ET (7:30 PM PT). For viewers watching on television, local broadcast coverage is available on KTLA 5 and ClipperVision for Clippers fans, while Kings fans can tune in via NBC Sports California.
If you prefer to stream the action live, the game is accessible through digital platforms such as Fubo (which offers regional access), Peacock for local Kings markets, or internationally and out-of-market via NBA League Pass.
The Clippers will have home-court advantage at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Bad News For LA Clippers As 5 Players Are Injured To Open Post-Kawhi Era