Serge Ibaka Not Expected To Be Available Opening Night Against Warriors
Bad news: Serge Ibaka likely won't be available to play on opening night for the Clippers. Good News: He's nearing a return.
According to a statement from Tomer Azarly, Serge Ibaka has stated he doesn't expect to be ready to play on the Clippers opening night against the Golden State Warriors. However, Ibaka did also mention that he's not far off from a return.
As previously stated, Serge Ibaka has been cleared for contact during practice and is playing 3-on-3 against others, which is a great sign. He's still only played in four NBA games since March 14, 2021, though. Whenever Serge Ibaka does return, which is trending towards the near future, there will likely be a significant amount of rust on him. All that matters for the Clippers though, is how good their record will be come March - if it's good enough, will they be healthy enough for a surprise playoff run?
The Clippers face the Golden State Warriors on October 21. They have five total games in the month of October against the: Warriors, Grizzlies, Blazers, Cavaliers, and Blazers. In all likelihood, it would be fair to assume that Serge Ibaka may not be available for those five games. Fortunately, the team has solid backup center options in both Isaiah Hartenstein and Harry Giles. While the Clippers will definitely miss Serge Ibaka, they've shown that they're deep enough to give him time to recover.
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