Health Issues
While it’s probably just precautionary, it should be known that the Clippers may rest as many as five players tonight. Danilo Gallinari, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Austin Rivers, and Sindarius Thornwell are all likely to miss tonight’s game with minor injuries. That means some players will have increased roles, most notably Wesley Johnson (more on that later).
It’s nothing much to look into, but early health scares could cause some fans to worry. Gallinari and Blake Griffin are notoriously injury-prone, which is one of the biggest reasons why the Clippers are projected to win less games this year than you may anticipate.
The situation is definitely one to monitor, but don’t overthink it – Doc Rivers probably just wants to prevent further injury.