The Los Angeles Clippers have struggled with injuries over the past three years or so.
Fortunately for them, they’re expected to have both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the court for the start of the season.
However, that won’t be the case with Terance Mann, one of Tyronn Lue’s glue guys.
According to NBACentral, the guard/forward will be sidelined with an ankle injury for their season opener vs. the Portland Trail Blazers.
Terance Mann will not play tomorrow due to a sprained left ankle pic.twitter.com/fYfPZZTNQr
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 24, 2023
Notably, the Clippers shouldn’t find a lot of trouble getting past a rebuilding Blazers team in their first game of the season.
Mann is expected to have a prominent role on the team this season, as he was deemed untouchable in trade talks, even for James Harden.
He failed to make the most of his opportunities sans Leonard and George and wasn’t the breakout player some thought he’d be.
Still, he’s versatile and capable of making an impact on both ends of the floor, even if it doesn’t always reflect on the stat sheet.
Health will once again be the only thing standing in the Clippers’ way to the NBA Finals.
They have one of the prime duos in the game, but they’ve failed to stay on the court since teaming up.
It’ll be interesting to see how they deal with the league’s new load management policy.
That’s where players like Mann and Norman Powell can be so valuable, as they will most definitely have to step up if (when) any of the star players are out with injuries.
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Former Clippers Star Comments On Fateful Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Trade