Paul George hasn’t played for the Los Angeles Clippers since sustaining a right elbow contusion against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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The Clippers have held steady without their MVP-caliber swingman over the past 2 games. They managed to take the dub against the Celtics at Staples, following that up with a win against Orlando.
However, their 15-12 record is pretty much indicative of their form graph this year. The Clippers haven’t had Kawhi Leonard on the court since Game 4 of their playoff series against the Utah Jazz.
To compound that, their shooting is way down from an NBA record statline over the course of 2021-22. In addition, Serge Ibaka is now barely a role player after his latest back injury sustained during the playoffs.
In the absence of a true point guard, the Clippers seem hard-pressed to earn easy looks near the rim. Their 25th-rated offense is at that position for a reason – most of their shots are jumpers, and they’ve been bricking a whole bunch of those through many putrid periods.
NBA starting lineups tonight: Is Paul George playing vs Phoenix Suns?
Paul George was not involved in the Clippers’ pre-game shootaround vs the Phoenix Suns last night. His health status is still up in the air and he’s yet to be removed from their injury report.
Ty Lue revealed yesterday that PG-13 is still being monitored and has been listed as day-to-day. His absence will almost certainly consign the Clippers to heavy underdog status against league leaders Phoenix.
However, the Clippers will be hoping to bank on their 4th-ranked defense shepherded by the excellent Ivica Zubac, who’s been making a case for an All-Defensive Team selection with his performances this season.
In the event that George is out for the day, they will be relying heavily on Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris offensively. Rookie 2nd round pick Brandon Boston will also be given an extended run to test his mettle against the class of the league.
