3 Pressing Clippers questions left to be answered after the All-Star break

After defeating the Detroit Pistons in their second game since returning from a seven-game road trip, the LA Clippers are just two games away from All-Star weekend. These final two games include a clash with the Western Conference's top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, giving the Clippers an opportunity to regain position atop the conference before the break.

Despite their position in the standings having won 17 of their last 20 games, a few question marks still remain around the Clippers in terms of player health, rotations, and usage rates. As the NBA regular season schedule enters its second half, it will be important for the Clippers to find answers to these questions and continue to fine-tune their roster in hopes of building a title winner.

1. How well is Paul George recovering from his injury?

During the Clippers' comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets in January, Paul George reportedly suffered an injury to his groin that was then reaggravated during the team's 127-116 win over the Los Angeles Lakers two days later. Coach Tyronn Lue and the Clippers' medical staff opted to continue allowing George to play through the injury on a minutes restriction, missing just one game since the initial injury.

Playing through the injury has clearly impacted George's play during certain games. In the team's losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New Orleans Pelicans over this recent stretch, George shot a combined 6-of-26 from the field, including an 0-of-13 line from beyond the arc.

However, in response to a forgettable performance against the Pelicans, Paul George notched 33 points and shined in the fourth quarter during what was otherwise a dull outing for the Clippers. Notwithstanding the team's first game in franchise history without recording an offensive rebound, George was able to will Los Angeles to victory.

Although he is slated to play in the All-Star Game, the break from full-speed game pace will allow George's nagging injury some much-needed time to heal, which should allow him to play more consistently impactful minutes down the road.

2. Where do P.J. Tucker and Bones Hyland fit after the trade deadline?

The NBA's annual trade deadline occurred this past Thursday with rumors swirling about the possibility of the team parting ways with guard Bones Hyland and forward P.J. Tucker. However, the Clippers stood pat, making only a cash transaction with the Denver Nuggets during the day.

Many of the rumors pertained to Tucker's status with the Clippers as a potential buyout candidate. However, with an $11,539,000 player option on the table for next season, it would not have made much financial sense for Tucker to forgo the remainder of his contract in exchange for agency of the buyout market. Instead, he remained on the Clippers roster, clearly unhappy with his current situation.

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Tucker has not appeared in a game for the Clippers since November 27th, playing just under six minutes in his final appearance to this point in the season. Understandably, Tucker is unhappy with his lack of playing time and believes he could make a positive impact on a contending team like the Clippers.

Along with Tucker, Bones Hyland was mentioned in trade rumors. According to NBA Insider Chris Haynes, the Clippers' asking price for Hyland in trade discussions was two second-round picks, the same package the team sent out in exchange for Hyland last February.

Hyland was the odd man out following the trade for James Harden in November, suffering a significant reduction in playing time. In the five games prior to Harden's season debut, Hyland logged 26.2 minutes per game, including a pair of starts. Since then, the 23-year-old guard has seen just 8.6 minutes per game and has missed action entirely in 32 games.

The route to consistent playing time may unfortunately not be there for Tucker and Hyland should the team remain healthy. While that may be a good problem to have from an organizational front, it is clear that Tucker and Hyland would both love to be somewhere they are relied upon with bigger responsibilities than the Clippers provide them. Now post-trade deadline, the team will have to decide where these two players fit into the rotation going forward.

3. Will the Clippers continue to play three centers?

With Ivica Zubac recently returning from injury, the Clippers have an abundance of depth at the center position. During Saturday's win over the Pistons, third-string center Daniel Theis did not check into the game, leading to some questions about what the center rotation will look like going forward.

Despite Zubac's minutes restriction as he continues to work his way back from a strained calf that has sidelined the 26-year-old center for 10 games over the past month, back-up center Mason Plumlee has played roughly 13 minutes per game since the beginning of this homestand. The reason for this is a recent quirk in Tyronn Lue's rotations: a small ball closing lineup.

The catalyst that sparked a 22-0 run to erase an 18-point fourth quarter deficit and defeat the Brooklyn Nets last month was the small ball scheme Lue deployed late in the game. Russell Westbrook took on the role of guarding Nic Claxton as the Clippers' de facto center, a matchup that Westbrook can contend with defensively due to his high energy and exploit on the offensive end.

With Western Conference juggernauts such as the Nuggets and the Timberwolves relying heavily on the play their star-studded frontcourts, it would be unwise to task Westbrook with center duties in some of the team's key matchups. However, the increased usage and effectiveness of the small ball lineups as of late begs the question of how often the Clippers will involve a traditional center in the rotation.