Opening week in the NBA keeps rolling tomorrow night with one of the league’s most familiar matchups, but the Lakers and Clippers won’t be bringing full rosters to the stage. When the two Los Angeles teams meet for the first time this season, both sides are dealing with injury absences that could shape what the game looks like from the jump.
For the Lakers, Cameron Carr is out with a right oblique strain and Adou Thiero has been ruled out because of a left knee effusion. That trims the bench, though the damage is mostly confined to players who wouldn’t be expected to carry heavy minutes anyway unless the game gets out of hand. Jake LaRavia is listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain, while Walker Kessler is available despite a left finger splint.
The bigger boost for the Lakers is at the top of the rotation. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both set to play without restrictions, giving Los Angeles its three most important pieces for this meeting. LaRavia could still provide some help if he’s able to go; he already chipped in 10 points off the bench in Wednesday’s win.
The Clippers’ injury picture is much tougher. Bradley Beal will sit with knee injury management, and he joins Brandon Ingram, Jordan Miller, Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Max Strus on the sideline. Ingram is out after right heel surgery, Miller is recovering from rotator cuff surgery, Niederhauser is out following right Lisfranc surgery, and Strus is sidelined by a right plantar fascia tear.
That leaves the Clippers trying to stay afloat while they continue to sort through the aftermath of the Kawhi Leonard drama. They did show something in a blowout win over the Kings earlier this week, but the absences make it hard to know how much of that can carry over against a deeper opponent.
The challenge is simple: while the Lakers are missing mostly fringe rotation players, the Clippers are without some of their best options, and several of them may be gone for weeks or even months. That puts extra pressure on players like Darius Garland and Rui Hachimura to absorb more of the load.
So on paper, this looks like a game the Lakers should control. They’re at home, they’re healthier, and they have the best players available on the floor. If they want to stack wins and keep pace with teams like the Thunder and Spurs, this is the kind of matchup they’re expected to handle.
Still, the Clippers should bring plenty of fight, which at the very least should make for a lively night. More than anything, both teams will be hoping their injury lists start shrinking while the season is still young.
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