While others get gifts at Christmas, the Los Angeles Clippers get bad news at Christmas.
Just on December 25, US time, the Clippers officially announced that the absolute core of the team, Paul George, had torn the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of his right elbow. The current schedule given by the team is that George will rest his elbow for some time in the future, and after waiting for 3 to 4 weeks to pass, the team will check George's elbow again before deciding what to do next.
For the Clippers, George's unexpected injury this time is undoubtedly another major blow to the team. Originally, Leonard, who injured his knee in the playoffs last season, had to rest most of the regular season this season. Under the leadership of George, the previous results and performances have been good, and many fans are also pinning their hopes on leonard's return, the Clippers Gemini can lead the team to a higher pursuit in the playoffs. But George's unexpected injury, coupled with the uncertain state of the future, allowed the Clippers to see the dawn of the road ahead, once again cast a shadow.
In fact, George's elbow has always been a problem, and after the game to defeat the Blazers on December 7, Beijing time, George's right elbow has a sore feeling. At the time, the team's diagnosis after examination was a sprain on the right elbow. Because of this problem, George once took a break of 5 games. On December 21, Beijing time, in the Clippers home game with the Spurs, George once again put on the team, played 31 minutes, got 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, and the whole competitive state was very good. Two days later against the Kings, George played another 32 minutes and had 17 points, four rebounds and six assists.
But it was after the game with the King that the soreness in George's right elbow returned. This time George underwent an MRI examination, which clearly showed that the ligament in his elbow had been torn. "I'm not quite sure about his situation," Clippers head coach Tyrone Lou said, "and he felt really good when he went with us to Oklahoma City, but he wasn't physically ready for the game, so he played later against the Spurs and he felt really good in that game." So I'm really not quite sure exactly when exactly he had a problem. ”
For the Clippers, losing George for at least 3 to 4 weeks will have a very big impact on the team. Before the start of the game against the Nuggets, the Clippers averaged just 105.9 points per 100 possessions this season, ranking 26th in the NBA. In such a situation, George, who averaged 24.7 points and 5.5 assists per game, could not play, and the Clippers' offensive firepower was bound to be further reduced. Coupled with Reggie Jackson, who averaged 17.2 points per game, he also triggered a health and safety clause, and the Clippers' offense will be extremely difficult for some time to come.
This was reflected in their most recent game with the Nuggets. In this game, the Clippers scored just 100 points, down a notch from their season average of 105.4 points. The team's highest single-game scorers were Bledsoe, who scored 18 points each, and Boston, a youngster.
"The young players in our team have to come forward and play well," Tyrone Lu said of how to deal with the team's recent dilemmas, "opponents also make mistakes on the pitch, so we have to be patient and wait for opportunities." I'm actually still very confident because the atmosphere in our team is still very positive. No one will sympathize with us because of the situation we are in now, and now all of us are going through the same situation. So, the most important thing for us is to continue to establish good play habits and do our best to win the game. ”
Although the Clippers are very mentally strong, and many young people do have a good performance in the game against the Nuggets, they will still feel powerless on the court without the main player. In the final moments of the game against the Nuggets, Boston, who played well all the time, got a three-point shot. If he can shoot, the game can be played in extra time. However, under the interference of his opponents, his very critical shot was still off target.
If George had been there, would the end result have been different? Such assumptions hover in the minds of every Clippers player and fan. Terrance Mann said, "We're losing the best Terminator at the moment. We were going to get the game very sticky and almost stole the victory, but..."
Behind this "but" is the reality and problems that the Clippers have to face. In response to the team's recent difficult situation, the Clippers' coaching staff has also begun to look for a solution. "Our most important problem is to maintain the ability to score in different situations," Tyrone Lu said, "so we have to play a little bit different, but overall it's still a very simple tactical routine for young people." Of course, young people will certainly make mistakes, but we still have to be patient every night, and every player has to work hard when he comes on. It was a challenge for us, but we were ready to take it. ”
In addition to tapping potential from within, the Clippers have also begun to follow in the footsteps of various teams, signing firefighters on 10-day short-term contracts. Xavier Moon was signed by the Clippers before the game against the Nuggets began, but the 26-year-old guard didn't get a chance to play against the Nuggets.
Fans familiar with the NBA may feel somewhat familiar with Moon's last name. There was a player named Jamario Moon who had played on several teams in the NBA, including the Clippers, and had a wonderful performance in the dunk contest. Today, Xavier Moon is the nephew of Jamario Moon. But compared to his uncle, who can jump a good buckle, Xavier Moon is only 1.88 meters tall, a small point guard who relies on speed, and can provide the Clippers with very limited help.
The Clippers are anxious and headache-ridden by the injury of the team's main player, but there are also teams that will be secretly happy because of the current situation of the Clippers, this team is the Thunder. In the summer of 2019, the Clippers quietly pocketed Leonard and Paul George at the same time, and the Thunder, who were forced to make a trade, in addition to getting Alexander from the Clippers as a potential new star, also received multiple draft picks, which were the Clippers' first-round draft picks for 2022, 2024 and 2026.
A few months later, the Clippers' first draft pick for the Thunder will go into effect. With the Clippers' current results, this draft pick is basically hovering around 20 places, and for the Thunder who are rebuilding, the draft picks in this position will not be particularly helpful.
However, with George injured this time, the value of this draft pick may also rise. Because in the next 3 to 4 weeks, during the period when George is definitely not going to play, the Clippers will have to face opponents such as the Nets, Celtics, Suns, Grizzlies, Hawks, Nuggets, Spurs, 76ers and Knicks, who have been doing very well and in good form recently. Once the record fluctuates sharply, the Clippers' ranking may also decline as a result. The more the Clippers slip down, the higher the first-round pick in the Thunder's hands. Whether it is used to choose people yourself, or to make trading chips, it is definitely more valuable than it is now.
Therefore, George's injury can really be described as some people are happy and some are worried.