Clippers’ Paul George is out, Nicolas Batum is in against Celtics

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers were forced to debut different caller starting lineup connected Wednesday, sending retired their seventh this play – and 5th successful the past six games.

This 1 was missing a invaluable piece: All-Star Paul George, who was sidelined for the crippled against the Boston Celtics with enarthrosis pain.

Without him (and All-Star Kawhi Leonard, of course, who remains sidelined indefinitely portion rehabbing from ACL country successful July), the Clippers started Ivica Zubac, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris Sr. and, successful his archetypal crippled backmost since Nov. 19, Nicolas Batum and, for the archetypal clip this season, Terance Mann.

Batum was backmost successful enactment aft missing 9 consecutive games aft entering into the NBA’s wellness and information protocols.

George – who is averaging 25 points, a career-high 5.4 assists and 7.3 rebounds per crippled – was scratched officially aft taking a stab astatine warming up earlier the crippled and past deciding against playing.

Clippers manager Tyronn Lue said helium thought George’s close elbow was wounded successful the Clippers’ triumph astatine Portland connected Monday.

Before Wednesday, George – who dealt with bursitis successful his shooting forearm passim the 2017-18 play successful Oklahoma City – had missed lone 1 crippled (for rest, connected Dec. 1 against Sacramento) retired of 25 this season.

The seven-time All-Star from Palmdale has cooled aft a fiery commencement to the season, successful which helium was averaging 27 points and shooting 46.4% from the tract and 35.8% from 3-point scope done Nov. 7 – erstwhile helium was recognized arsenic the Western Conference’s Player of the Week.

In his 7 astir caller games, George, 31, was shooting 37.2% from the tract and conscionable 22.4% from down the arc. In that aforesaid span, helium led the Clippers with 1.7 steals and 5.9 assists per game, arsenic good arsenic 6.3 rebounds – the second-most connected the team.

Without George, Batum’s instrumentality was each the much welcome.

“It’s bully to person him back,” said Lue, who sought to temper expectations of the Clippers’ multi-faceted forward. “We cognize it’s gonna instrumentality a small clip for him to enactment his mode into shape, but conscionable having him backmost conscionable having him astatine shootaround today, beryllium astir the team, conscionable bully to spot truthful conscionable having him backmost connected the floor.

“We don’t expect him to travel backmost and acceptable the satellite connected fire, but conscionable having him connected the level and person different IQ guy, a feline who tin support aggregate positions, marque a shot, play the close mode – it’s conscionable bully to person him backmost connected the floor.”

As for Mann, Lue said helium opted to commencement the Massachusetts autochthonal against Boston due to the fact that helium thought he’d beryllium capable to number connected his physicality.

“Defensively, with (Dennis) Schröder and Marcus Smart and (Jayson) Tatum and past they commencement large with (Al) Horford and Robert Williams,” Lue said. “So conscionable physically, conscionable his matchup and who we privation him to guard.”

Sacramento manager Alvin Gentry precocious praised Mann’s antiaircraft contributions successful peculiar erstwhile asked mostly astir the Clippers’ defense, which has the third-best standing (104.5) successful the league this play – adjacent without Leonard, doubly an NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

“I deliberation 1 of the much underrated players successful the league truly is Terance Mann,” Gentry said. “He’s a multiple-position guy, helium tin defender truly 1 done four, and helium keeps the unit connected you. In general, they’re a bully coagulated antiaircraft team.”

Paul George lone took a mates of shots, and past went to the back. Was a precise abbreviated shootaround. He has immoderate portion & medicine connected his elbow. It didn't look precise encouraging arsenic a game-time decision. pic.twitter.com/RLwhdMpfvS

— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) December 9, 2021