The OKC Thunder are starting another week in the NBA as the team continues a west coast swing to take on the L.A. Clippers and Lakers in the Staples Center on Monday and Thursday respectively before returning home for the final game of the week as they welcome the San Antonio Spurs to the Paycom Center on Sunday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have already sent down four players to their G-League affiliate the OKC Blue, as the NBA G-League begins on Friday. Tre Mann, Vit Krejci join the two two-way players Paul Watson Jr and Aaron Wiggins down on the farm.
The OKC Thunder are without two key pieces, G-Leauge assignments against L.A. Clippers
The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to a 1-5 start sputtering out of the gate with a young cast of players that are still trying to find their NBA footing and the team is struggling defensively and offensively.
The defensive side is likely in for a long night, on top of having a ton of lineups, arguably all lineups, with an undersized big, the OKC Thunder will be without their top defender and one of the best iso defenders in the league.
Lu Dort will miss tonight’s game against Paul George and the L.A. Clippers with a shoulder injury sustained in the Saturday contest against the Golden State Warriors. Dort’s name did not appear on the Oklahoma City Thunder injury report until this afternoon, being left off last night’s and this morning’s report. That can lead up to believe it is not that serious, likely making him day-to-day.
With a spaced-out week, this might be the only game Dort misses, but Mark Daigneault will update us fully on Dort’s status at 8:00 p.m. pregame.
Despite the L.A. Clippers’ slow start, only collecting one win to this point in the season, Paul George has posted 27 points per game, the second-most of his career only behind his 2018-19 season with Oklahoma City where he finished third in MVP voting.
Against the Memphis Grizzlies on October 23rd, George posted 41-points, following that on October 29th against Portland with a 42-point outburst. Without Lu Dort in the OKC Thunder lineup, this could be a huge night for the seven-time All-Star.
The L.A. Clippers will of course miss Kawhi Leonard, who still is recovering from an ACL injury that will likely sideline him all season, but also Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka, Jason Preston, and Keon Johnson.