Clippers seek to stay the course without Paul George

LOS ANGELES – Well, present what?

The Clippers’ Christmas announcement that All-Star helping Paul George suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament successful his close elbow, and that helium “will remainder and beryllium re-evaluated successful 3 to 4 weeks, astatine which constituent adjacent steps volition beryllium determined” surely dampened their hopes of a sneaky palmy play without Kawhi Leonard, right?

Right?

“Our young guys person to travel successful and play well, play hard and compete,” Tyronn Lue said earlier the Clippers tipped disconnected Sunday against the likewise depleted Denver Nuggets astatine the recently named Crypto.com Arena. “They’re going to marque immoderate mistakes and we’re going to person to enactment diligent successful that regard, but I inactive consciousness assured that we got a batch successful this locker country and we tin inactive get it done.

“No one’s going to consciousness atrocious for us. Everyone’s going done the aforesaid happening close present and truthful our biggest happening is conscionable continuing to physique habits and effort to triumph games arsenic champion arsenic possible.”

Lue said George’s diagnosis came aft the seven-time All-Star — who played 2 games past week aft returning from the elbow sprain that sidelined him for 5 games – experienced soreness aft Wednesday’s crippled successful Sacramento “and truthful helium went to get an MRI and we got the atrocious news. That’s astir it.”

Lue said helium didn’t cognize whether those 2 games backmost – erstwhile George played 31 and 32 minutes – exacerbated the injury.

“I’m not sure,” Lue said. “But helium acceptable helium felt bully successful Oklahoma City (on Dec. 18), but his conditioning wasn’t up to par, and past going into the San Antonio game, helium said helium felt good, truthful I’m not definite what happened aft that.”

The Clippers volition beryllium capable to reincorporate Marcus Morris Sr., who was designated arsenic “return to contention reconditioning” precocious Sunday afternoon. After being placed successful the NBA’s COVID-19 wellness and information protocols connected Dec. 18, Morris was cleared and putting up shots earlier the crippled Sunday.

With his pending addition, the Clippers – whose violative standing of 105.9 ranked 26th successful the NBA successful violative standing entering Sunday – inactive volition beryllium missing 3 of their apical violative threats.

They stay without Kawhi Leonard indefinitely, the five-time All-Star who is recovering from ACL country who has averaged 26 points per crippled arsenic a Clipper; George, who is averaging 24.7 points this play and Reggie Jackson, who accounts for 17.2 points per crippled and who entered into wellness and information protocols connected Wednesday. (Lue said Jackson has reported nary symptoms.)

Lue said helium thinks the Clippers’ G League cognition should assistance them enactment afloat without their large guns.

“We’ve got to people from antithetic situations, play a small different, but marque it arsenic elemental arsenic imaginable for these young guys,” Lue said, crediting Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of hoops operations and Agua Caliente Clippers Coach Paul Hewitt for preparing prospects to capable in.

They’re “running the aforesaid sets we tally up present truthful guys tin travel up and they tin beryllium much comfortable, truthful that’s conscionable an vantage that we have,” Lue said. “But I deliberation conscionable keeping it elemental for the young guys, they’re going to get immoderate large experience. They’re going to play hard and compete. They’re going to marque immoderate mistakes truthful we’ve got to beryllium diligent with that but each azygous nighttime erstwhile we measurement connected the level we’ve got to beryllium capable to play hard and vie and we’ll get scoring from antithetic places.

“It’s going to beryllium a situation for america but we’re up for the situation and we’re OK.”

XAVIER MOON COMES ABOARD

Short-handed successful the backcourt without George and Jackson, the Clippers signed Xavier Moon connected Sunday to a 10-day declaration nether the COVID-19 hardship exemption.

The 26-year-old defender is the nephew of erstwhile Clipper Jamario Moon and has been playing for the Agua Caliente Clippers, for whom he’s averaging 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists successful 14 games.

Xavier Moon was undrafted retired of Morehead State successful 2017 and mostly has played internationally – including a decorated three-season stint with the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

The speedy 6-foot-2, 165-pound defender was a three-time CEBL Most Valuable Player (his reign extending from 2019–2021) and a two-time CEBL Finals MVP (2020, 2021). He is the 3rd erstwhile CEBL subordinate to beryllium picked up by an NBA squad connected a COVID-19-related hardship deal, on with Cat Barber and Javin DeLaurier.

On Tuesday, the Clippers besides signed Moses Wright for the Agua Caliente roster. The 6-foot-9 guardant played Wednesday successful the Clippers’ 105-89 triumph successful Sacramento, signaling 1 assistance successful a small much than a infinitesimal of action.