“I’ve talked to Kawhi at nights where he’s, you know, almost crying, just talking about, you know, how he’s let the team down. But, you can’t do anything about injuries.” Giving an update back in early December, Clippers head coach Ty Lue highlighted the mental effect that the continuous absence from the court had on Kawhi Leonard’s mind. Fortunately, after having missed 34 regular season games, the small forward made his season debut earlier this month. Now, as hours remain before the matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, a recent health update has made it clear that Leonard is not looking to miss any more games for now.

NBA reporter Justin Russo recently provided an update on the Injury Status of the LA Clippers squad. According to him, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac are cleared for the upcoming matchup. Unfortunately, this does not mean the franchise will have all of its players at the Intuit Dome. As part of a recent update, both Kobe Brown and Cam Christie have been sent to the G-League. This makes them unavailable to take on Ben Simmons and Co. Meanwhile, playing under a two-way contract, Trentyn Flowers is already committed to the G-League. Furthermore, P.J. Tucker and the franchise reached an agreement back in October, under which Tucker won’t be with the Clippers for the time being. The exact reasons behind this decision remain unknown. So does the timeline of his absence.

Back in March 2024, Kawhi Leonard sustained a right knee inflammation. It limited his appearances during the previous season and prevented him from representing Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Even as the rest of the LA Clippers squad commenced the ongoing season, the player’s recovery process continued. Making his debut against the Atlanta Hawks, Kawhi Leonard played for 19 minutes. He made 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist within that period. He was also present in the next matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, as the situation in Los Angeles worsened due to the ongoing Wildfires, Leonard had to take a leave of absence to help out his family members. Fortunately, Leonard’s house was reported to have gone mostly undamaged.

Until two weeks ago, James Harden was listed on the Injury Report as he recovered from a groin injury. However, ‘The Beard’ hasn’t developed any further injuries since then. Furthermore, he also hasn’t missed a matchup since the Clippers-Thunder game held back on January 2. Therefore, unless any last-minute changes occur, the veteran star is more than expected to take on the Brooklyn Nets within the upcoming hours.

Speaking of the Brooklyn Nets, their condition is much worse than the Clippers. After all, they have not one, but 6 players listed on the Injury Report. De’Anthony Melton, who was recently traded to the Nets by the Warriors, had earlier sustained a season-ending Sprained ACL Injury. Therefore, he will not be seen for any of the team’s games this season. Meanwhile, having sustained a fractured left tibia during a Nets-Raptors game, Maxwell Lewis’ status will be updated by next month. Cam Thomas sustained a left hamstring strain during the recent Nets-Bucks game and is set to be re-evaluated after January 19.

Bojan Bogdanovic hasn’t played even a single game this season. However, there has been some progress in his recovery from his offseason foot surgery. Therefore, for the upcoming game, he is listed as ‘Questionable’. The same status is also held by Trendon Watford and Nic Claxton. Both of them continue to recover from their respective hamstring ailment.

In light of these updates, both teams will have to make adjustments to their starting lineup.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Clippers-Nets game look like?

The starting lineup for the LA Clippers is expected to look something like this:

Similarly, given the updates for the Brooklyn Nets, their starting lineup may look like this:

The LA Clippers or the Brooklyn Nets? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming game? Let us know in the comments section down below.