NBA News: Clippers HC Tyronn Lue could lose two key players ahead of Kawhi Leonard's expected return

After a four-day break in the NBA regular season, the Los Angeles Clippers are gearing up for their next challenge. While head coach Tyronn Lue focuses on preparations for the upcoming matchup, the team could be without two key players in the early games. This leaves Kawhi Leonard potentially facing his season opener without the support of two vital teammates.

Leonard, widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of recent years, is expected to return to the Clippers‘ starting five soon. However, reports suggest that Leonard may not have the opportunity to share the floor with James Harden and Mo Bamba for the season opener.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Joey Linn, both players have been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Houston Rockets. Linn reported, “The Clippers announced that James Harden is questionable for tomorrow’s game against Houston due to right groin soreness. Kris Dunn (illness) and Mo Bamba (injury recovery) are also questionable.”

With this injury update, the Clippers are weighing the possibility of playing without two players who had been performing well this season. Additionally, the absence of Kris Dunn could complicate Lue’s game plan, as Dunn had been providing valuable contributions off the bench with key plays.

Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard 2 and James Harden 1 watch from the bench during an NBA, Basketball Herren, USA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, Wednesday, November 1, 2023, in Los Angeles.

Leonard’s expected return with the Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers have announced that James Harden and Mo Bamba are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. However, the focus is on Kawhi Leonard, who is eager to make his season debut in the coming days. While reports suggest Leonard could return before Christmas, no specific date has been confirmed yet.

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As for Harden and Bamba, there’s still ample time for recovery. Bamba, in particular, is still working toward peak fitness, having yet to fully justify his signing for the 2023-24 NBA season. Despite some lackluster individual numbers, Bamba has shown his value on the defensive end and is continuing to build chemistry with the team.

Harden expected to miss his first game of the season

With the grind of the NBA season taking its toll, many players are beginning to show signs of exhaustion. The Clippers, having had a rare break, are no exception, but Harden has played in every game since the start of the season.

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue recently addressed Harden’s workload, revealing that the star guard has been reluctant to take any rest despite the heavy schedule. “Even when we want to give him a break—especially during stretches like four games in five nights—he refuses to sit out,” Lue said.

With that in mind, Harden’s availability for the upcoming game is now in question. Given the relentless pace of the NBA calendar, the Clippers will need to carefully manage his health moving forward.