The Clippers vs Nuggets game day picture changed on Tuesday, when Tyronn Lue gave his clearest injury update of the preseason. The Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) host the Denver Nuggets (2-1) tonight at 7:30 p.m. PT at Intuit Dome, on NBA TV and KTLA, according to NBA.com. It is their last preseason game. Lue said Brandon Ingram is “ramping up” but still “a while” away, and that there is no timetable for Bradley Beal. That makes it unlikely the Clippers have a full roster on opening night.
Our Yuki Kawamura report covered the roster cut to 20. This piece covers Lue’s Tuesday comments and what tonight means for the October 21 opener.
Clippers vs Nuggets Game Day: Lue’s Injury Update
Lue spoke after Tuesday’s practice. His comments were reported by ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly and by WhyNBA.
Brandon Ingram (Achilles): “He’s been increasing, he’s been ramping up,” Lue said. “He’s doing a lot more, so just seeing him on the floor, that’s a good sign. It’s going to still take some time, it’s going to be a while, but just seeing him on the floor being able to do certain things has been good to see.” There is no return date. “A while” from the head coach a week before the opener means Ingram is not expected for the start of the season, which matches earlier reports.
Bradley Beal (right knee): Azarly reports that Beal is nearly fully recovered from last season’s hip fracture, but the right knee inflammation he developed while ramping up is still being managed. “He’s been getting better. Rehab is going pretty good so we’ll see where he’s at,” Lue said. “We don’t know the timetable, just basically making sure he feels good before he steps on the floor.”
That is different from the October 14 date on ESPN’s injury report. “We don’t know the timetable” from Lue carries more weight than an estimated date on an injury tracker. We would treat Beal as unlikely to play tonight until the Clippers say otherwise.
Lue also described what Beal adds when healthy. “He’s like Max, he can move without the basketball, coming off screens,” he said. “His movement causes confusion.”
Max Strus (right foot): Strus tore his plantar fascia five minutes into the preseason opener in Honolulu. Azarly reports that he is expected to be re-evaluated in about three weeks. That fits the four-week re-evaluation the Clippers announced on October 5. “It’s tough, but like I told him, we’re going to wait for him,” Lue said. “We’re going to hold the fort down until we get our guys back.”
ClutchPoints adds that a realistic timeline for this kind of injury is six to eight weeks from when it happened. That is the outlet’s estimate, not a team timeline. Counted from October 4, it would mean a return around mid-to-late November. The re-evaluation is a checkpoint, not a return date, so the Clippers should plan for at least the first few weeks of the season without him.
The rest of the injury list: Kobe Sanders (left hip), Jordan Miller (left shoulder) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) are also out or limited, per ClutchPoints. ESPN listed Sanders as day-to-day, and his status for tonight is unconfirmed.
The Clippers’ official channel posted Tuesday’s full practice availability:
What It Means for Opening Night
Azarly counts the injured group as about a third of the roster. If Ingram, Strus and Beal all miss the start, the opening-night rotation will rely on Darius Garland and Rui Hachimura, which ClutchPoints and WhyNBA both expect.
That makes tonight a real look at the players who will fill the gaps:
- Darius Garland: played only 19 minutes in Vancouver, with 11 points and four assists, and did not play the second half. We have not seen an explanation. A full workload tonight would answer that question.
- Rui Hachimura: scored 21 points in 15 minutes in the Honolulu opener. He will be expected to score even more.
- Keaton Wagler: the rookie who hit the game-winner in Honolulu. With Kawamura gone, he could take more backup point guard minutes.
- Kris Dunn, Cam Christie and Blake Wesley: the other guards who could start or close games while Beal and Strus are out.
The Matchup
Denver comes in at 2-1 after a 133-128 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in that game, according to CBS Sports and ESPN, and Aaron Gordon scored 25. The Nuggets stay in Los Angeles to play the Lakers on Friday at Crypto.com Arena.
For the Clippers, the main test is the glass. Toronto grabbed 18 offensive rebounds to the Clippers’ eight on Saturday, and Denver’s frontcourt is bigger. Turnovers matter too: the Clippers cut them from 22 in Honolulu to 15 in Vancouver.
The Roster Countdown
The Clippers are at 20 players after waiving Kawamura. Teams have to get down to 15 standard contracts and three two-way deals before the regular season, so more cuts are coming. Jahmyl Telfort, on an Exhibit 10 deal per CBS Sports, is one player whose minutes tonight are worth watching. No further moves had been reported as of Wednesday morning.
What to Watch Tonight
- Whether Beal or Sanders plays. Lue’s comments point to no, but it is a game-time question.
- Garland’s minutes. A normal workload would put Vancouver’s second half behind him.
- The starting five. The last preseason starting lineup is often close to opening night’s.
- Rebounding against Jokic. The biggest test of the preseason.
After tonight, the Clippers have a week of practice before hosting the Sacramento Kings on October 21. They then visit the Lakers on October 23.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Beal and Sanders play tonight. Lue gave no timetable for Beal.
- Return dates for Ingram and Strus. “A while” and a re-evaluation in about three weeks are not dates.
- Further roster cuts and who makes the final 15.
- Why Garland sat the second half in Vancouver.
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