Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
L.A. Clippers get first shot at the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves
The L.A. Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves just played last Saturday, but the circumstances of tonight's matchup will be very different.
Minnesota was as active as ever leading up to Thursday's trade deadline, making several moves to revamp a roster that's responsible for the team's current 13-game skid. In total, the franchise acquired eight new players — four of which came from the Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets, three that came from the Golden State Warriors and one from the Miami Heat.
In the process, the Wolves lost some familiar faces. Among them is Andrew Wiggins, who now plays for Golden State. Robert Covington and Gorgui Dieng found new homes in Houston and Memphis as well.
One prize sticks out from the slew of role players Minnesota acquired, and that's D'Angelo Russell. The 23-year-old guard had an up-and-down year with the Warriors despite averaging a career-high 23.6 points across 37 games. He's famously close with Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, so the change of scenery should work to Russell's benefit.
That said, it's unknown if the Clippers will see any of the Wolves' new players when they take on Minnesota tonight. There are a lot of hurdles that recently-acquired players must jump through when they end up with a new team, and that can often take several days to complete.
As such, it's also unknown if the Clippers' new addition, Marcus Morris Sr., will suit up either. Beat writer Andrew Greif described his status as 'up in the air' but said that he has not yet been ruled out.
Morris is in the midst of a career-best season, posting averages of 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on a blistering 43.9 percent shooting from three-point range. Those numbers won't hold with the Clippers as he'll be playing a more limited role, but Morris' efficiency from beyond the arc should help improve L.A.'s overall offensive potential.
However, even if Morris does play, L.A. won't be at full strength — Patrick Beverley will miss tonight's game with a sore groin after he re-aggravated a previous injury in Wednesday's win over the Miami Heat.
Kawhi Leonard will almost certainly miss Sunday's contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers as well due to injury maintenance, meaning our first chance to see Morris with the usual starters will come next Tuesday in Philadelphia.
But regardless of who is and isn't playing Saturday night, this a game that the Clippers should win. Minnesota is on a historic losing-streak, and L.A. — even without Morris and Beverley — is far more talented than the Wolves.
There is some risk for an upset, as unfamiliarity tends to play a role in these types of matchups. Instead of running plays, the Wolves will probably play a more spontaneous game. That makes them more unpredictable, so the Clippers will need to be sharp and expect to play a difficult game.
The L.A. Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves will tip-off tonight at 5:00 p.m. from Target Center. As it stands, the Clippers are 7.5-point favorites.
