Paul George Shockingly Ruled Out For Clippers-Pelicans Play-In

Paul George, LA Clippers, NBA
NBA Analysis Network

The LA Clippers’ path to the 2022 NBA Postseason was a tough one as they finished eighth in the Western Conference. That put them into the Play-In Tournament, matching them up with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first game.

The Clipper lost that game on the road, setting up a Play-In Final against the New Orleans Pelicans, who defeated the San Antonio Spurs. It is a win-or-go-home situation and the Clippers’ chances of winning the game took a major blow Friday afternoon.

It was announced that All-Star forward Paul George would be missing the game because he tested positive for COVID-19. The news was broken and confirmed by Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim Bontemps.

Already playing without their other All-Star in Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles will now have to defeat an improving and confident Pelicans team without their two best players. It will be a tall task, as the Pelicans have looked like a totally different team with CJ McCollum in the lineup alongside Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas.

LATEST NBA NEWS: NBA Play-In Tournament 2022: Last-Minute Bold Predictions

Without Paul George, the Clippers are going to need other players to step up offensively to help replace his production. Tyronn Lue will have some tough decisions to make with his rotation.

Luke Kennard and Terence Mann will also see their roles increase off the bench, as one of them could be inserted into the starting lineup. Norman Powell could take over as the team’s go-to scorer alongside Reggie Jackson. 

Jackson showed during last year’s postseason that he can take his game to another level, stepping into the No. 2 scorer’s role when Leonard went down with his knee injury. The LA Clippers will need a performance reminiscent of that if they want to advance and make the playoff field.

LATEST NBA NEWS: NBA Play-In Tournament 2022: Last-Minute Bold Predictions

This is a tough break for Los Angeles. Winning an elimination game is already hard enough, but doing it without your two best players is a tall task. The only consolation is that they will be playing this game at home, hosting the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.Com Arena.

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