The Los Angeles Clippers will be taking on the Detroit Pistons tonight. NBA fans will remember that many teams did not get the opportunity to play on Christmas Day. Thus, they will be rested and good to go. We are keeping Kawhi Leonard in mind when making this assumption.
The Clippers were actually the favorites to win the NBA title this year. We all know what a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are capable of doing. However, Leonard’s progress and return to the court have been slower than most of us expected.
With that being said, we should wonder if he will be playing alongside his team tonight against the Pistons. Therefore, we should take a look at the injury reports and expected rosters for both sides in this game. That will also help in making a prediction about the match’s outcome
Kawhi Leonard is listed out for the Los Angeles Clippers vs Detriot Pistons game tonight
Fans are aware that Kawhi is coming off a torn ACL from the 2021 playoffs. As a result, he sat out the next season completely and focused on his rehabilitation. This is a very tricky and serious injury, referred to by some as a kiss of death for athletes who rely greatly on their explosiveness.
It looks like Kawhi will not be playing in this game against the Pistons, despite having a two-day break since his last game. There, against James Harden, Joel Embiid, and the Philadelphia 76ers, he scored 28 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. Although this was in a narrow 114-119 loss.
Los Angeles Clippers injury report
- Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Clippers expected roster
- John Wall
- Reggie Jackson
- Paul George
- Marcus Morris Sr.
- Ivica Zubac
Detroit Pistons injury report
- Cade Cunningham
- Marvin Bagley III
- Isaiah Livers
Detroit Pistons expected roster
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Isaiah Stewart
- Jalen Duren
- Killian Hayes
- Jaden Ivey
As we can tell, the Clippers look healthy for this matchup, with the exception of Kawhi, who has been listed out due to right knee management. On the other hand, the Pistons are missing Cade Cunningham and Marvin Bagley III. Now, let us take a look at the expert predictions for this game.
The Clippers will be clear-cut favorites over the Pistons
Despite Kawhi missing several games so far, the Clippers are eager to prove that they are contenders in the Western Conference. Paul George and the rest of the team have been playing well. They currently hold a record of 19 wins and 15 losses, giving them the 5th seed in the West.