Updated Injury Report: Kawhi Leonard OUT vs. OKC Thunder

The LA Clippers will now be without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Marcus Morris vs. OKC
© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

After it was announced that both Paul George and Marcus Morris would miss Tuesday night's game against the OKC Thunder, the LA Clippers announced that Kawhi Leonard will also be out for right knee injury management.

This update comes as a bit of a surprise, because Leonard has only been expected to miss one half of back-to-back sets. With this game following an off-day, and their next game not coming until Thursday, all signs pointed towards Leonard playing. Because he is ruled out for injury management rather than another reason, this seems to suggest that the team's plan for managing his workload may have been previously misunderstood.

The Clippers will stay in OKC for another game against the Thunder on Thursday, and it is yet to be seen if Leonard will be available for that game. Now without Leonard, George, and Morris, this becomes a much more difficult game for the Clippers to win, even against a bottom-tier OKC Thunder team.

If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander plays, as he has now been upgraded to questionable, OKC will have the best player on the floor in this game, which gives them an advantage despite the Clippers' depth. Players like Norman Powell will have to step up for the Clippers in this one if they are going to overcome their three most consistent scoring options being sidelined for different reasons.

Related Articles

Exclusive: Paul George Partners With BetterHelp to Advance Mental Health Awareness

Shaquille O'Neal Believes LA Clippers Will 'Do Nothing' This Season

LeBron James Praises Clippers as Western Conference Powerhouse


Published
Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.