Injury Bug Continues to Plague Clippers, Hinders Late Postseason Push

Right now, Los Angeles is a tale of two teams going in completely opposite directions. The Lakers are the hottest franchise in the NBA, coming off yet another impressive victory and extending their win streak to eight games.

The Clippers, unfortunately, aren’t so lucky

The entire team is struggling. They’ve fallen down to eighth in the playoff race, and have won just four of their last ten.

Though small hiccups aren’t the end of the world, everyone else in the playoff picture is hitting their stride.

If the Clippers aren’t careful, they could soon find themselves on the outside of the postseason looking in

The team has plenty of solid pieces, and on paper looks to be as much of a contender as many of the other star-riddled teams in the Western Conference. However, stars don’t mean much if they can’t play.

Nobody knows that better than Los Angeles.

The Inability to Stay Healthy

The Clippers have dealt with various injuries all year. Kawhi Leonard missed the first few months of the season with knee issues, and Norman Powell, who has had the best season of his career, has also sat out due to various lower body ailments.

Most of the time, the Clippers haven’t minded such absences because someone else has been there to pick up the pieces

The team doesn’t have the deepest bench, but they have enough starting firepower to overcome one injury. Two or more is proving to be a problem.

Their recent games are an example of that

While they did win their last contest against a solid Pistons team, and while they did it without both Leonard and Powell, that type of play isn’t sustainable. That’s why they’re so far down in the standings.

A Reliance on Greatness

The Clippers need their stars. Missing too many pieces, or not knowing who’s going to suit up every night, creates a slew of issues that can be difficult to overcome.

James Harden has done his best this year to keep things afloat, but even he can’t stop the ship from sinking.

One of the biggest problems the Clippers face is Kawhi Leonard

The guard is one of the best players in the NBA when healthy, but he can’t go out and play at a high level every night.

He’s always been injury prone, and typically rests a few games here and there even when healthy.

The Clippers need him on the floor, but they also can’t risk him re-injuring his knee going into the postseason.

That creates a catch-22

If the Clippers want to make a postseason push, they’re going to need him to be on the court.

If he plays too much the guard won’t be healthy for May. Even so, their recent struggles have made it so the Clippers need to win now.

If Leonard can’t go, the bench has to step up. That’s been one of the Clippers’ biggest issues this season, and it’s something they are still struggling to overcome. Especially because Leonard isn’t the only one out.

A Lack of Norman Powell

Now, head coach Tyronn Lue has reported the guard is dealing with a right hamstring strain and will need to be re-evaluated in 10 days time.

That means he’s going to sit out for at least the Clippers three game road trip before returning to action

That’s incredibly concerning paired with Leonard’s load management. Both players bring an important aspect to the team, and without them things are going to go south very, very quickly.

Bursting at the Seams

The Clippers are in dire straits. Their stars going out is a big enough issue, but the supporting cast behind those stars is falling apart as well. That’s a huge problem in what has become a tight, competitive western conference race.

Beyond Leonard and Powell, Derrick Jones Jr. has also missed the last two games with a nagging groin injury

Recent reports also state that Ben Simmons, who has been a solid addition to the team, is dealing with left knee injury management.

The franchise has said he’s “day-to-day,” but they aren’t giving a concrete timeframe.

Los Angeles has some players, including Amir Coffey and Bodgan Bogdonavic, who can play at a high level, but no team in the NBA will be able to consistently win games with so many starters missing.

It’s not the Clippers’ fault, but if things don’t turn around in the next few weeks the season might be slipping through their fingers.