The LA Clippers, coming off one of their best wins of the season against the Brooklyn Nets on New Year’s Day, return home to face the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.
Game Information
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
When: 7:30 p.m. PST
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Eric Bledsoe – Terance Mann – Marcus Morris Sr. – Serge Ibaka
Timberwolves: Patrick Beverley – Malik Beasley – Anthony Edwards – Jarred Vanderbilt – Naz Reid
Injury Report
Clippers: Paul George out (right elbow), Nicolas Batum questionable (right ankle), Isaiah Hartenstein out (left ankle), Kawhi Leonard out (right knee), Jason Preston out (right foot), Luke Kennard out (health and safety protocols), Ivica Zubac out (health and safety protocols), Brandon Boston Jr. out (health and safety protocols), Jay Scrubb out (health and safety protocols).
Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns (health and safety protocols), D’Angelo Russell (health and safety protocols), Taurean Prince questionable (return to conditioning), Anthony Edwards questionable (return to conditioning), Jarred Vanderbilt questionable (return to conditioning), McKinley Wright IV questionable (return to conditioning).
The Big Picture
Compared to other teams around the league, including the Timberwolves, COVID-19 hasn’t seemed to hit the Clippers as hard as of now. When one player has entered health and safety protocols, it seems like they have gotten another one back. Luke Kennard and Ivica Zubac became the latest Clippers to be placed in protocols on this recent road trip along with coach Tyronn Lue.
But the Clippers got a much needed boost getting Reggie Jackson back from protocols. He had 19 big points in the team’s comeback win over the Nets, arguably their best win of the season. Jackson and Eric Bledsoe didn’t quite fit so well together earlier in the season, resulting in Bledose getting moved to the bench. But the backcourt tandem was in sync on Saturday as they led the Clippers to victory.
The Clippers bench, as thin as it’s been this season, was highly productive. Justice Winslow, Keon Johnson and the 10-day hardship contract guys (Xavier Moon, Wenyen Gabriel, James Ennis III) combined for 37 points, 19 rebounds, and eight assists. They outplayed the Nets bench and kept the game close enough for the starters to finish the job.
Going into Monday night’s game against the Timberwolves, the Clippers should have Marcus Morris Sr. back in the starting lineup. Morris didn’t play against the Nets, but was actually available to play. With a combination of him playing heavy minutes against the Toronto Raptors the night before and having just returned from protocols, Morris was able to get some needed rest.
The way this team competes, they seemingly will always have a chance to squeak out a win despite being incredibly short-handed. Of course nobody would blame them if they ended up dropping some games, but that doesn’t seem to be the way this team is built. A 2-1 road trip was very impressive considering the circumstances. It would have been considered a successful road trip regardless, but even more so with a highly depleted roster.
The Antagonist
The Timberolves come to town having been hit with COVID issues of their own. They only now have begun to get the bulk of their roster back, including Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Patrick Beverley. But Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell remain in protocols and will not play against the Clippers.
Before this recent bout of COVID hit the team, they had actually begun to show signs of improved play. They’re currently in the mix for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference. When Towns was on the court, he was playing some of the best basketball of his career. Edwards has been blossoming into the superstar the Wolves hoped he’d be when the selected him with the No. 1 overall pick last year. And Russell was fitting in great alongside those two before he went into protocols.
A big reason for the Wolves turnaround since the beginning of the season is their defense. They’ve been in the top half of the league defensively to this point and a big part of that is the presence of Beverley. He brings a toughness and defensive mindset that is seemingly infectious wherever he goes. His leadership has done wonders for this young team.
And they’ve had strong production out of their young guys such as Vanderbilt, Jaden McDaniels, and Jaylen Nowell.
It remains to be seen though how many of these Timberwolves actually play though against the Clippers. They will be coming off a back to back against the LA Lakers and a few of them are listed as being questionable for the Laker game due to a return to conditioning despite having played on Friday against the Utah Jazz.
No matter what though, this is a team that is vastly improved from the one that the Clippers saw earlier in the year. It will be a tough game.
Notes
- Amir Coffey has solidified himself as a legit NBA rotation player. He’s been on a two-way contract with the Clippers for the entirety of his three-year NBA career, but he’s clearly done enough to prove himself worthy of a standard contract. With the Clippers injuries and COVID protocols, he’s been called upon to provide a spark and he’s done just that. He’s been a capable ball-handler, he’s knocked down open threes, he’s been a pest on the defensive end, and he’s played multiple positions. The Clippers have a full 15-man roster this season and barring a deal at the trade deadline, that won’t change. Coffey will most likely play out this season on a two-way contract, but next season should be the one his perseverance gets rewarded.
