The Los Angeles Clippers will drop some of the key players when they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, including stellar reserve Montrezl Harrell.
According to Yahoo Sports’s Chris Haynes, Harrell will miss the opening night matchup, and it is “unclear” when he reunites with the Orlando team as he is still dealing with a personal matter – despite previous evidence suggesting he was already on the road.
The 26-year-old left the bubble last week to deal with a family emergency, while other key team members – including Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams – left for similar reasons. The trio make up three of the team’s top five players and the Clippers could fight without them.
Harrell is in the midst of his best season to date in the NBA. The sixth candidate of the year averaged 18.6 career points and 7.1 rebounds per game in under 28 minutes per game and lost only one game all season.
In addition to Harrell, Lou Williams will miss Thursday’s game and wait for the 10-day quarantine. Williams might have been allowed to play, but a detour to an Atlanta restaurant during his absence apology made him receive a long period of quarantine.
Upon returning to the NBA campus, Harrell will only have to endure a two-day quarantine before he can rejoin the team as he has tested negative for coronavirus every day since he left the bubble.
To make up for Harrell’s absence, look for guys like Ivica Zubac, Joakim Noah and JaMychal Green to see more time on the pitch. Zubac and Noah are the more traditional options of the five, but Green’s ability to space on the floor will earn him a few more minutes.
After meeting the Lakers this Thursday, the Clippers will face off against the New Orleans pelicans on August 1 and the Phoenix Suns on August 4. If Harrell loses both of these games, he will have five more chances of getting back on the floor before the season starts.
