The LA Clippers are one of the deepest teams in the NBA, but that depth is about to be tested. They’re down four rotational players just a week away from games starting.
The LA Clippers went into the NBA’s COVID-induced hiatus with one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. They had traded for Marcus Morris at the trade deadline and added Reggie Jackson and Joakim Noah for nothing shortly thereafter, piling talent on top of talent.
They were heady days, a team whose second unit could probably hang with most teams in the NBA. As the joke goes, “they could make the playoffs in the East”. However, things have changed over the last few weeks as the NBA prepares to restart its suspended season.
Landry Shamets tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month and the Clippers are still waiting on his recovery and hoping he will be able to join the team in Orlando. Ivica Zubac has yet to report to the bubble, and Marcus Morris only reported for his quarantine in Orlando on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, Montrezl Harrell departed the bubble to take care of an emergency family matter, and on Tuesday night Patrick Beverley departed as well for a similar reason.
The Clippers probably are deep enough to withstand these losses for a while, but the road through the playoffs is a challenging one. Especially with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers waiting for them somewhere down the line.
In the meantime, they’re going to have to cope. We’ll look at three takeaways from their suddenly dire situation.