Clippers Offense Sputters as Beal Sits with Back Soreness
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The Los Angeles Clippers are still waiting for the scoring jolt they expected from Bradley Beal. The veteran guard, signed in the offseason after the team moved Norman Powell to Miami, missed a second consecutive game Tuesday night with back soreness. Without him, L.A. mustered just 79 points and fell to the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
“We are missing a key component, which is Bradley Beal, who gives us a shooter, a guy who can play-make, a guy who can handle the basketball as well,” head coach Tyronn Lue said postgame. “You add to the mix, it does make us better.”
The Clippers registered only 10 assists, marking just the second time they have hit that low since Lue took over in 2020. Beal has been limited all season, opening on a minutes restriction while recovering from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. He has scored 11 total points across the first two contests.
Bogdan Bogdanović has started in Beal’s place but is off to a rough start, shooting 11.1% from the field and averaging 1.0 point per game. The offensive struggles also include newcomer John Collins, who finished Tuesday with five points on 2-for-6 shooting. “The ball’s not moving as much,” Collins said. “A little bit of stagnation on our end. Gotta make it work.”
Despite the slow start, Lue praised Collins’ versatility. “You get a big player like John on the floor alongside Kawhi (Leonard) and teams have a nightmare matching up,” the coach noted. “His versatility on both sides of the basketball is a huge thing for us.”
Injury concerns extend beyond Beal. Second-round pick Kobe Sanders is week-to-week with a sprained right knee and may be back in December. He is the second two-way player currently sidelined; Jordan Miller remains out with a hamstring strain.
Veteran guard Chris Paul, reacquired by the Clippers this summer, told Marc J. Spears of Andscape he feels fortunate to return to the franchise late in his career. Paul added he has not decided whether he will play beyond the 2025-26 season.
Source: Hoops Rumors
