Despite some unrealized excitement earlier in the week, the Clippers had an uncharacteristically quiet draft night (they didn’t make a single trade tonight after making at least one during each of the last 8 NBA Drafts). For the first time since Lawrence Frank took over basketball operations from Doc Rivers, the Clippers simply entered the day with two picks, made them, and called it a night. While the hope is that these two guys–Kobe and Jordan–develop into good players, it’s unlikely that either is a major factor in the Clippers’ pursuit of the 2024 NBA title. Forward Kobe Brown will be on the 15-man roster in a reserve role behind a host of veterans, while wing Jordan Miller is expected to sign a two-way contract, spending most of the upcoming season with the Ontario Clippers.

The biggest story of the draft for the Clippers, though, wasn’t who they took–it was the players who weren’t moved. It’s no secret that the team is ready to move on from Marcus Morris, who has been the team’s primary power forward for the last 3.5 years. Originally, the team expected to send the 30th pick and Marcus Morris to the Washington Wizards in a 3-team trade that would have brought guard Malcolm Brogdon to Los Angeles, but they backed out over concerns regarding Brogdon’s health. Adding Brown with the 30th pick instead is all well and good, but the clear need to move on from Morris at the power forward position remains–and the team targeting Brogdon (and Chris Paul who was dealt to the Golden State Warriors today) suggests that they’re looking to move for a guard and a forward this summer. Whether the goal of making a big addition at guard is to replace or complement Russell Westbrook, who is an unrestricted free agent, is anyone’s guess.

At guard, the Clippers could always simply re-sign Westbrook, having sufficient depth to round out a solid guard rotation without an addition (Bones Hyland will definitely appreciate not being stuck behind two hall of fame point guards next year). Questions about the championship upside of putting his shooting and turnover issues alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard remain, but it would hardly be a surprise to see him back with the team after he became the emotional centerpiece of an otherwise listless Clipper team last year and put up big numbers in the team’s first round loss with George and Leonard sidelined. I’d still look for the Clippers to deal a guard (Westbrook, Hyland, Norman Powell, and Eric Gordon is one too many guys as long as Paul George is starting at shooting guard, and that’s without mentioning Terance Mann, who more easily slots into the backup small forward role), likely Gordon who is the most expendable and movable due to a combination of skill level, age, and contract status.

Westbrook cannot be traded as a current free agent, only re-signed. Powell’s contract is likely unappealing to trade partners, but he’s an important piece for the Clippers, so it’s hard to see a win-win deal developing there. Mann and Hyland both represent players with positive trade value, but they’re both players the Clippers would be reluctant to part with lightly. Gordon, at 34 years old and with a fully non-guaranteed salary of $20.9M next season, is an easy choice to explore moving. The Clippers face an interesting decision with Gordon–in many ways, he’s a completly expendable piece on this team, because if Westbrook is retained (or another guard added in his place) the team can build a comfortable backup rotation with Hyland, Powell, and Mann. While it’s certainly possible that Ty Lue would play Gordon over Hyland if both are on the team in October, it wouldn’t be healthy for the organization to invest minutes in a mediocre 34-year-old veteran over a high-upside (if tumultuous) 23-year-old prospect. Cutting Gordon does Lue a favor by taking away a bad choice and leaving him with a straightforward guard rotation. At the same time, Gordon isn’t a bad player, and the Clippers aren’t getting that $21M salary slot back if they release him. He has on-floor utility, especially during a regular season where you know you won’t always have your first-choice 10-man rotation available, and could be a part of a deadline deal as a huge expiring. Then there’s the tax angle: simply releasing Gordon would save the Steve Ballmer something like $100M next season. Even for the league’s wealthiest owner, that’s gotta be hard to not consider for a guy who shouldn’t be in the nightly rotation.

Even if the Clippers are hunting for an upgrade at guard, the possibility of running it back with Russ at least exists. That isn’t the case at power forward, where Morris was woefully ineffective for the majority of last season before losing his starting job late in the year. His time with the team, both on the court and interpersonally, seems to have fully run its course. 34-year-old backup glue guy Nico Batum isn’t exactly ambitious to take over starter’s minutes, and it’s hard to imagine Ty Lue trusting Robert Covington to fill Morris’ shoes next season after routinely giving him the cold shoulder last year. In fact, while Gordon and Morris almost need to be moved in this off-season, Covington is the third player who I most expect to depart. The non-trade options for the Clippers to address replacing Morris come down to Covington and Kawhi Leonard… and while I’m into the idea of shifting Kawhi to PF in certain lineups, it’s hard to imagine the team asking their oft-unavailable superstar small forward to play against bigger, stronger opponents on a nightly basis in the regular season.

Knowing that the Clippers should be shopping Gordon and Morris (and Covington) hard while looking for a guard upgrade/insurance and a new starting power forward is the easy part. Making a deal or two along those lines is a bigger challenge. Without the 30th pick to attach in deals (the Clippers can still trade Kobe Brown’s draft rights, but the pick is always more valuable as currency before the selection is made), the Clippers will have a hard time attracting much interest in Gordon and Morris. In fact, last night, the Sacramento Kings straight-up gave Dallas the 24th overall pick in order to take the undesired contract of Richaun Holmes–and Holmes is a useful player that the Mavericks will use! If 24 + Holmes = nothing, then 30 + Morris = Brogdon was actually a massive win (health notwithstanding)… and Morris without 30 = less than nothing. The Clippers are hardly in a position to give up future picks, Terance Mann, or Bones Hyland just to get off of Morris’ contract, so unless someone is really clamoring for Amir Coffey or Brandon Boston Jr., they’ll have to get creative to make a deal work.

As far as I can figure, the Clippers’ best bet is to go deeper into the crevasse by trading Gordon and Morris for less desirable contracts, thereby creating a situation of leverage where they can get some value back to help the team next year (either via a flippable asset or a useful player on an undesired contract). Say what you will about not wanting to pay them next season, but both of their contracts end after just one more year (and in Gordon’s case, only the amount required to make trade math becomes guaranteed, meaning he could offer some instant savings–more on this in a second). That’s not true for someone like Ben Simmons, who will make $40M in 2024-25. Would the Nets downgrade from Dorian Finney-Smith to Robert Covington if it meant the Clippers ate Simmons’ extra year in exchange for Gordon and Morris? Would they give LAC an additional asset too? If the Heat need Duncan Robinson’s outgoing salary to make a trade work this summer but their trade partner doesn’t fancy owing him $30M over the two seasons beyond next year, would Miami compensate the Clippers for taking on that deal in exchange for Morris’ expiring, and could they use that asset with Gordon to land a new power forward? Would the rebuilding Hornets jump at the opportunity to offload 3 years and $75M of Terry Rozier, a player who could be useful to LAC? What about the Hawks and ever-rumored forward John Collins’ similarly big deal? Atlanta particularly strikes me as a team that has to prepare to pay their upcoming young talent and could look to offload money this summer to set the stage for those deals in future years.

While it’s possible that some trade partners could value Gordon as a short-term role player, his presence allows for some immediate savings, too. His deal is fully non-guaranteed, which means the Clippers are completely off the hook for his salary if they cut him by June 28th. It’s not a complete mulligan for trade partners, though–enough of his contract needs to be guaranteed to make a trade legal. Still, teams can save money that way. Let’s look at that Gordon/Morris/Covington for Simmons/Finney-Smith deal, just as an example. To bring back those two players, the Clippers would have to send out about $38.6M. After Morris and Covington, the Clippers would only need an additional $10M, meaning that the Nets could immediately cut Gordon and have trimmed $13M ($19.6M if they elect to stretch his salary hit over the next 3 years) from their payroll for next season on top of savings on Simmons’ additional year.

Of course, there is the possibility of bigger deals solving these issues organically–maybe Gordon, Morris, Terance Mann, and future picks can land the Clippers Zach LaVine (good luck figuring out how to make him fit with Paul and Kawhi on offense, but talent is talent). If they get off of Morris’ deal in such a fashion, there are a couple of younger, less established power forwards that the Clippers could always look at as upside plays with the knowledge that they can turn to Batum or move Kawhi up a position in the playoffs: Obi Toppin is looking for a way out of New York to a bigger role, and the Clippers are rumored to have interest in Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. One issue with targeting Toppin or Martin, aside from their relative inexperience and unprovenness, is that their salaries are too low to make a swap for Morris easy. Another is that they’d likely cost draft capital to acquire, something the Clippers have very little of and need to treasure.

Then, there are the elephant(s) in the room: the lingering rumored availability of Paul George in trade talks (and Damian Lillard’s satisfaction in Portland). It’s been mentioned throughout the week that the Clippers are gauging George’s value, though the latest update from Andrew Greif in the LA Times suggests that the feedback they received wasn’t great, with teams concerned about the downside of trading serious packages for a 33-year-old with a looming opt-out next summer who has averaged just 47 games played over his 4 years as a Clipper (2 of which were shortened from 82 to 72 games due to COVID scheduling, for what it’s worth). Still, Knicks reporter Ian Begley says he would expect New York to continue a pursuit of George if the Clippers are open to trading the star wing. The problem: both teams are trying to get closer to a championship in the near future, not further away. The Clippers would surely entertain a George-Randle framework for the same age, health, and contract reasons that the Knicks wouldn’t; the Clippers would hopefully rebuff a package built around RJ Barrett for the same quality disparity reasons the Knicks would pursue it. Perhaps a convenient way out: if Damian Lillard does finally decide it is time to leave the Trail Blazers behind instead of hanging around to mentor #3 overall pick Scoot Henderson, could a 3-team deal sending George to the Knicks, Lillard to the Clippers, and Barrett and a heap of draft picks to the Blazers satisfy everyone? The Knicks are committed to Jalen Brunson as their younger, cheaper star point guard, but covet a two-way All-NBA wing to join their core, while the Clippers would embrace the Lillard upgrade, especially given George’s reluctance to be a playmaker last season. I wouldn’t bet money on it, but I wouldn’t rule it out either. Lillard isn’t eligible to be traded until July 9th, the one-year anniversary of signing his designated veteran maximum extension last summer, so I’d expect these talks to be slow-developing as all sides (including Lillard himself) consider their options.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

After Quiet Draft, Clippers Need Trades For Gordon, Morris
Lucas Hann

The Clippers have acquired Charlotte Hornets center Mason Plumlee for Reggie Jackson and a 2028 2nd round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:

Plumlee was one of the most talked-about centers on the market at this trade deadline, as the Charlotte Hornets are clearly in tanking mode and had no need for a solid veteran center who will turn 33 years old in March and hit unrestricted free agency this summer. He represents a sorely-needed addition for the Clippers, who have lacked a second NBA-quality big man behind Ivica Zubac all season long and are especially vulnerable on the interior with soon-to-be 3-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic blocking any likely path to title contention in the Western Conference. Averaging 12.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists for the Hornets this year, Plumlee is having a strong season and I am surprised that it only cost the Clippers a single future second-round pick to acquire him. While he is offensively limited to finishing around the rim as a scorer, he is capable of crafty passing that might help the Clippers via short roll creation on the second unit, where he should spend lots of time with Norman Powell. He isn’t as strong of an interior defensive presence as Zubac, but still represents a massive upgrade over smallball options and a little more foot speed than Zu on the perimeter. I’m a big fan of this pickup at this price point for the Clippers.

The loss of Jackson, one of the best playoff performers in Clippers franchise history during their 2021 Western Conference Finals run, stings. He had been the emotional centerpiece of this team for much of the last two years. However, his inconsistency this season was difficult to overlook, and it seemed inevitable that the team would seek to upgrade his role at this deadline. While Eric Gordon isn’t the point guard many expected the Clippers to acquire today, Jackson was going to struggle for playing time after his arrival and replacing his salary slot by filling a pressing need at backup center is a good piece of business–even as it is a reminder that the NBA is, in fact, a business. Jackson is reportedly expected to reach a buyout agreement with the Hornets so that he can join a playoff team down the stretch, with the Phoenix Suns linked as an early suitor.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

NBA Trade Deadline: Clippers Trade Reggie Jackson for Mason Plumlee
Lucas Hann

Knocking down 21 threes and holding their opponent below 100 points despite 17 turnovers, the L.A. Clippers (47-23) routed the Charlotte Hornets for the second time this season 113-90 Thursday. Bouncing back from an ice cold first half start, Paul George was the Clippers’ leading scorer with 20 points, five threes, 10 rebounds and six assists. Kawhi Leonard settled into a nice flow once again, adding in 16 points (5-9 FG, 2-4 3PT) and nine assists. Outscoring each individual Hornet while coming off the L.A. bench, Reggie Jackson was terrific with 19 points, five threes, three rebounds, three assists and a block. Rookie sensation LaMelo Ball looked fantastic for the Hornets (33-37), finishing with a team-high 18 points (5-10 FG, 3-4 3PT), six rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Hornets game recap.

Summary

Despite a slow offensive start highlighted by PG and Kawhi shooting a combined 3-for-10 from the field, the Clippers found their rhythm midway through the quarter with 7-for-12 shooting from deep to show for it. Marcus Morris Sr. led the way for L.A. early with a game-high eight points on perfect shooting, albeit giving up two fouls and two turnovers in the process. Full-time starter Ivica Zubac was solid in his 10 minutes of action, dominating the glass early and rocking the rim on several feeds from Leonard as the Clippers took a 31-23 lead after one.

The Clippers’ rebounding and offensive woes of recent games reared their heads in the second quarter as the Hornets outscored them 24-13 in the period. Opening up with a pair of missed triples, a missed technical free throw and an intercepted pass, Los Angeles’ rough start from PG and the bench unit allowed the Hornets to regain their composure a bit with their speedy guards breaking loose. LaMelo Ball showed off his range from deep while making some of his patented effortless passes. Shooting an uncharacteristic 1-for-10 from downtown and continuing to make some errant passes en route to nine first half turnovers, the Clippers headed back to the locker room down 47-44.

Winning the third 40-30, the Clippers’ offense finished just ahead as both teams found no shortage of buckets. With 10 assists on 13 of 15 shooting from the field (86.7% FG) and 8-for-10 from three, the Clippers’ offense looked much better as PG and Kawhi’s shots began to fall with regularity. Going small rather than bringing DeMarcus Cousins back in, Reggie Jackson and Nicolas Batum brought some much needed shot-making off the bench, tallying two threes apiece on perfect efficiency. Through three quarters, the Clippers took a 84-77 lead entering the closing frame in Uptown Charlotte.

Stretching out the Hornets’ defense with unselfish passing and consistent buckets, the Clippers dominated the fourth quarter 29-13. Rajon Rondo set the tone for the rest of the game, knocking down two wing threes to get the Clippers out in front 6-0 to start. After the Clippers continued to methodically move the ball, finding the open man on jumpers and backdoor layups to build a 20-point advantage, Hornets head coach James Borrego signaled the white flag as Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, Yogi Ferrell, Daniel Oturu and Jay Scrubb entered the game for L.A. with 4:09 left. After 11 ties and seven lead changes, Kawhi got the entire fourth off for the second game in a row as the Clippers moved to 2-0 in the Jay Scrubb Era.

Clippers vs. Hornets Game Notes

• Silencing the Swarm: Entering this afternoon’s matchup, the Clippers needed to be weary of the streaky shooting of both Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham. Rozier had averaged 30.7 ppg over his last three contests while Graham was coming off of a 31-point performance with seven threes against the Denver Nuggets. L.A. held the guards to a combined 15 points on 6-for-17 shooting.
• The Nightly Rotation Roundup: In 18 minutes of action, Patrick Beverley’s fingerprints on the game were just about nowhere to be found in this one as both Reggie Jackson and Rajon Rondo stepped it up in the second half to guide the Clippers to victory. With Pat Bev expected to be a starter heading into the playoffs, it would be great to see him look a bit more comfortable out there in these last two games. After the halftime break, Ty Lue also limited his substitutions to an eight-man rotation, opting for small ball instead of bringing in Boogie while continuing to leave Mann and Kennard on the pine.
• Goggles, Check: It seems moving out of the starting lineup and into more of a sixth man spark plug scoring role made the game clearer this afternoon for Reggie Jackson, who showed no hesitation being aggressive in putting up shots (and for good reason). The goggles have continued to look terrific, and having Jackson’s role be more defined can only mean good things for the Clippers come late May.
• Up Next: The Clippers will continue their four-game season finale trip in the second end of a back-to-back against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Friday, May 14 at 6 p.m. PT.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Hornets Recap: L.A. Surges in Second Half
Ralston Dacanay

Following a wire-to-wire win in Tampa, the L.A. Clippers (46-23) look to continue building momentum against the feisty Charlotte Hornets (33-36) Thursday afternoon. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Hornets game preview.

Clippers vs. Hornets Game Information

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
When: 4 p.m. PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570 L.A. Sports, 1330 AM Tu Liga

Projected Starting Lineups:
L.A. Clippers: Patrick Beverley – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris Sr. – Ivica Zubac
Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball – Terry Rozier – Jalen McDaniels – P.J. Washington – Bismack Biyombo

Injury Report:
L.A. Clippers: Amir Coffey – OUT (Health and Safety Protocols), Serge Ibaka – OUT (Lower Back Tightness)
Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges – OUT (Health and Safety Protocols), Gordon Hayward – OUT (Right Foot Sprain), Caleb Martin – QUESTIONABLE (Left Thumb Dislocation), Cody Martin – OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)

The Big Picture

The Clippers’ four-game tune-up trip journeys on through Buzz City as L.A. looks to gather some sort of momentum heading into the postseason. Although LAC will have to wait at least one more game for the return of reserve center Serge Ibaka, today’s game should be another great opportunity for the rest of the Clippers’ main playoff rotation guys to sharpen it up on both ends.

Remaining just a full game ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the west’s No. 3 seed, the Clippers will need to continue handling business in the next five days. With just about every team’s playoff positioning being in flux from one through nine in the west, it remains to be seen just who will be on the Clippers’ side of the bracket a couple of days from now.

The Antagonist

Likely the toughest regular season opponent remaining for the Clippers, at least on paper, the Hornets have been one of the best NBA League Pass teams for basketball fans to watch this year. Currently tied for eighth in the east with a play-in tournament spot already clinched, Charlotte appears primed to make its first playoffs appearance in five years. The 10th youngest team by average age in the league this season, the Hornets have flown past expectations with their electric, up-tempo play despite 12 of the team’s 17 players playing in their first, second or third year in the NBA.

After falling decisively to the Clippers 125-98 in Nicolas Batum’s revenge game back in March, the Hornets will be down two of their talented wings this afternoon in Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges. Fortunately for Charlotte, however, Rookie of the Year candidate LaMelo Ball figures to have a better showing against the Clippers this time around after injuring his wrist in the teams’ last meeting in L.A. Averaging 15.8 points, 6 rebounds and 6.2 assists, Ball has looked every bit the part of a future NBA all-star. A pair of scoring guards will also look to lead the charge for the Hornets in Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham, who’ve shown the ability to catch fire on any given night.

Clippers vs. Hornets Game Notes

• Toning Down the Turnovers: A point of emphasis made apparent by a pensive Ty Lue postgame on Tuesday, the Clippers still have a ways to go in cleaning it up on offense, both with their overall flow and limiting their giveaways. Since April 4, the Clippers have averaged 14.2 turnovers per game. After turning the ball over six times in what was 16 total Clipper turnovers against Toronto, hopefully Paul George can get back to the level of ball control he displayed last time out against the Hornets, who typically excel in scoring off of turnovers and in fast break settings.

• Staying Ready: After logging a DNP-CD against the New York Knicks, Terance Mann clocked in a 20-minute, 20-point 7-for-7 shooting gem against Toronto. While Mann’s fit next to Rondo surely raises some spacing issues offensively, Terance has consistently shown this season that positive things happen when he sees time on the floor. With yet another scrappy, athletic team on deck, it would great to see Ty Lue let Mann loose off the bench again today (as well as Jay Scrubb).

Feel free to stick around and chat down below as this article’s comment section will serve as our live game thread tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. Sign up for a free account and join the conversation!

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Hornets Preview: Brushing Up in Buzz City
Ralston Dacanay

The Clippers got back to their winning ways Saturday night against the Charlotte Hornets, as they crushed their visitors 125-98. Let’s see how the Clippers vs Hornets player grades shook out in a dominant victory.

Clippers Starter Grades

Reggie Jackson: B+. It feels like there’s always an “oh Reggie” moment or two, but I really have no complaints regarding an overall solid outing for the Clippers’ fill-in starting guard.

Paul George: A. For a guy who has been as turnover prone as PG has this season, I feel like you have to give top marks for a 10-assist, 0-turnover game. Plus, he started to get hot again with his shot, putting up 21 points on 14 shot attempts.

Kawhi Leonard: A-. I’m starting to think that maybe Charlotte just isn’t very good defensively. Kawhi turned in a low-volume, high-efficiency offensive night with 17 points on 6-13 shooting despite being cold (0-4) from deep, adding 4 assists, 4 steals, and 0 turnovers. Yeah, it was just that kind of night for Charlotte.

Marcus Morris: B. Morris had a solid outing overall but didn’t jump off the screen, most notably having his minutes limited because he found himself in foul trouble throughout the game. I’m not gonna knock him for 13 points on 9 shots and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes, though.

Ivica Zubac: B+. Zu’s individual box score line wasn’t as pronounced in recent games, but him playing bigger minutes with the starters in recent games has really clearly shown how valuable he can be on both ends of the floor. He’s by far the Clippers’ best defensive big man in the post, against ball screens, and especially stepping up in help against drives, and it’s becoming unavoidable that his screening, rolling, and offensive rebounding adds more to the team’s attack than Serge Ibaka’s superior (but still only average) jump-shooting.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Nicolas Batum: A. In a vacuum, this performance might not earn full top marks, but Nico gets an A for his revenge game against the Hornets, who cut him before the season began (and didn’t even call him–he found out on Twitter). He had 11 points on 5 shots, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, and even got a dunk (and a second almost-dunk). Plus, he’s a super valuable member of the Clippers’ team defense and has done admirably playing more center minutes with Serge Ibaka out.

Terance Mann: A. What a game for Terance slashing to the rim! He had 16 points on 7-10 shooting and looked like a really dynamic downhill player who finished acrobatically around the basket. My gut instinct is that a lot of this performance had to do with an already-bad Charlotte defense growing disinterested in a game where they trailed by double figures for 41 straight minutes, but these are single-game grades and he had a phenomenal outing.

Lou Williams: B. A good-but-not-great outing for Lou, who supplemented his 4-11 shooting night by earning–and converting–6 attempts from the free throw line. That earned him 15 points on 11 shots, even though he only had 1 assist to 2 turnovers. And how about his defense? 3 steals for Lou Williams?

Patrick Patterson: B+. The Clippers pretty much got everything they can realistically expect from PatPat at this point, but it was all they needed from him in 12 minutes as an injury fill-in center against an inferior team: make a couple shots to keep the defense honest, grab a few rebounds, and end up +12 with him on the floor. I don’t think there’s a ton of added value from having PatPat in these minutes compared to someone like Amir Coffey, but he did what was needed from this spot tonight, even if it was a small ask.

Garbage Time Crew: NG. Luke Kennard, Amir Coffey, Mfiondu Kabengele, and Daniel Oturu all got a nice little shift together to round out this game, but I don’t really feel like giving any of them grades. Kennard was the only one who really stood out–and that’s really the bare minimum expectation for a player of his caliber who has found himself out of the rotation. Coffey, Fi, and Oturu all had more or less neutral stretches, though we might remember Fi’s made three from the wing as the last shot he makes in a Clipper uniform. He’s probably a lock to be off the roster by the time the trade deadline passes Thursday afternoon.

No Grades

Now for the rest of the no grades crew: Patrick Beverley and Serge Ibaka are still sidelined with knee soreness and lower back tightness. Both of them seem ripe for a potentially imminent return, but the Clippers are certainly going to be cautious with these two veteran starters–and I wouldn’t rule out Beverley’s name coming up in some trade conversations over the next few days as well. Jay Scrubb, who is likely going to miss the entire season as he recovers from foot surgery in training camp, continues to be ungraded.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs Hornets Player Grades
Lucas Hann