After entering the midfield catchment room through the Clippers win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, Point Guard Patrick Beverley misses Sunday’s matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans with a sore on his right knee.
The injury comes at a critical time. While the Clippers were reported to be sitting out the trade deadline due to tight cap restrictions and a lack of bricks, it would be likely that Beverley would be included in any deal that could Make clippers. His salary figure for matchmaking purposes would help if LA followed a big name like, say, Kyle Lowry.
The irony of this injury and how it relates to the Clippers trade problem is that it marks more than ever that LA may ought to follow a new starting guard. While Beverley has excelled at healthy times, Sunday ‘s matchup marks the eleventh game out of 40 that Beverley will miss this season. Beverley has not been really healthy (playing more than 51 games) once during his Clippers tenure, back in the 2018-19 season. His knee seems to be particularly fragile, and he needs to be managed for the rest of his career.
The Clippers are going to be wary of Beverley going forward, because they know it’s more worthwhile to come playoff time. Reggie Jackson is likely to start in his place, where he has played well so far this season. It will be interesting to see if this injury pushes LA to make a move at the deadline to get a point guard that will be available more often.
Related Articles
Paul George Clippers LA on not getting false alarms: ‘I’m used to this’
Report: Clippers considered ‘Kyle Lowry’ trade, but ‘opposed’
Best Buy Candidates for LA Clippers