LA Clippers: What to expect in exhibition versus Orlando

Here’s what to expect when the LA Clippers scrimmage the Orlando Magic.

Basketball is officially back. The amount of happiness and the smile on my face as I typed that statement say it all and I am sure everyone reading feels the same way. The LA Clippers began their chase for the franchise’s first NBA Championship back in October but experienced an unexpected hurdle when the season halted due to COVID-19 in March.

Every championship team has experienced hurdles, but the winner of this season’s NBA Finals will go down as one of the most unique champions in not only NBA history but sports history as well. For the Clippers, that journey restarts on Wednesday afternoon when the LA Clippers take on the Orlando Magic in the first NBA action in the Orlando bubble format at Disney World.

For the Clippers, expecting stars like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Lou Williams to perform well is a tall task as none of those players have dealt with much action over the last four months as most facilities were closed until recently and no games have been played. The expectation that those three players even suit up on Wednesday could be low as well to avoid any freak injuries.

The stars of the team could see minimal action so I would not expect Leonard, George, or Williams to play more than 15-20 minutes, especially with the scrimmage games shaving two minutes off of the quarter length as well.

As for the other players on the roster, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell have both left the bubble to attend to family matters while Ivica Zubac and Landry Shamet have yet to join the team in Orlando. Marcus Morris just arrived a few days ago, so even his chances of playing much could be low as well.

This will be an amazing time for Doc Rivers to evaluate his depth on the roster, especially Joakim Noah, who recently signed an extension with the Clippers to stay with the team for another season. With Harrell and Zubac out for the contest, Noah will more than likely start at the five and get a ton of playing time against Orlando.

The group of Reggie Jackson, Rodney McGruder, Terance Mann, and Amir Coffey will more than likely take up most of the guard minutes, giving Rivers a good idea of who he can trust if Williams is not able to play as the point guard off the bench. Also expect a ton of action for JaMychal Green and Patrick Patterson with one of them more than likely running some minutes at center.

As for the opponents, Markelle Fultz and Johnathan Issac will not participate in the scrimmage and I would not expect star center Nikola Vucevic to get much playing time either, so expect a dosage of DJ Augustin and Aaron Gordon as the main centerpieces in the scrimmage.

Most of the players for both squads will likely be going through the motions but I would expect a healthy dosage of intense action as well since the teams will only have 11 games to get into playoff shape. I wouldn’t expect flagrant fouls or anything extreme but a couple shoves and some elbows to chests could be expected.

It is amazing to have basketball back and to see the LA Clippers back in action and let’s hope the scrimmage can allow the squad to create some chemistry and cohesion and gear up for the eight-game stretch and a deep playoff run.

The LA Clippers tip off against the Orlando Magic at 3pm ET / 12pm PT in the Orlando bubble.