The Sunday night awaits a clash of two powerhouse teams: the Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers. The Mile-High City, after a shaky start to the season, is well and truly into the business with a 10-7 record. On the other hand, the LA side, playing without their star player, managed to ride on James Harden’s back and turned into a surprise contender, a team that can shock you anytime. So, this isn’t a one-sided affair. Let’s take a look at their injury reports and see who has the upper hand.

The Clippers have a very small margin for error without Kawhi Leonard by their side. But that doesn’t vex Harden out. Ahead of the season, he said, “I’ve been in situations like this where we have not as much as other teams, but then that’s when my leadership role has to really, really kick in.” Importantly, the Beard has stuck to his words and orchestrated the fairly inexperienced Clips to a 12-9 record on the West.

Moreover, with a positive update on Kawhi Leonard‘s fitness, the Clippers head into their Sunday outing with a long injury report. The timeline of Leonard’s return is not out yet, but coach Ty Lue said that he was “progressing well”. At the same time, they have three key assets on the report, listed out for the Nuggets challenge: Kobe Brown, Kevin Porter Jr., and Norman Powell. These three guards will indeed affect the team’s depth against Nikola Jokić & Co.

Well, just like the Clippers, the Nuggets also don’t have one of their starters in action for a long time. It’s Aaron Gordan who has been out for more than two weeks with a calf injury. Apart from him, Vlatko Čančar and DaRon Holmes have also been out for a long time. Nevertheless, the one change that will immediately affect the Nuggets is that the team listed Peyton Watson as probable an abductor strain. Apart from that, the team looks pretty solid.

Nuggets vs Clippers: Starting Lineup and Depth Chart

With the three missing guards, the Clippers may seem like they’re a little less equipped for the challenge. But James Harden’s philosophy seems like the team is prepared for any challenge. Ahead of the season, he said, “We don’t have room for error like a lot of other teams. We have to be detailed and precise in everything we do, and that starts with me.” So, we might see a fearless and disciplined basketball from the shorthanded Clippers to take on the Nuggets.

The Los Angeles Clippers

The Denver Nuggets

Will the Nuggets take advantage of the short-handed Clippers and steal a win? Let us know in the comments below.