Clippers Injury Report vs. Kings: Will Darius Garland & Ben Mathurin Play?

The new-look Clippers are taking the court for the first time. Are their newcomers ready to make their debuts on Friday?

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The Los Angeles Clippers did a hard pivot at the trade deadline, much to everyone's surprise. If you had told any Clippers fan a week ago that the team would no longer have James Harden and Ivica Zubac after the trade deadline, very few would have believed you. But this is the reality of the NBA. Things move fast, and teams have to adjust on the fly.

Another reality of the NBA is that games come at you fast. Even before Clippers fans can wrap their heads around the blockbuster trades, the team is already taking the court. At 10 pm EST, the Clippers take on the Kings in Sacramento in their first post-deadline game. Unfortunately, however, fans have to wait a little longer before they can see their new men in action.

Darius Garland, Ben Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson All Out vs. Kings on Friday

On the official injury report, the Clippers listed Darius Garland, Ben Mathurin, and Isaiah Jackson as all out with a "Trade Pending" status. The good news is that, besides the newcomers, only Bradley Beal is listed on the injury report.

This means that the Clippers will be very short-handed against the Kings. The starting lineup will likely be Kris Dunn, Kobe Sanders, Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, and Brook Lopez. Off the bench, Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and Jordan Miller should see minutes. Whether Bogdan Bogdanovic or Cam Christie will be a part of the rotation remains to be seen.

That is a limited group, especially offensively. Leonard will have to carry a significant load, but he hasn't played more than 31 minutes in any of the previous 11 games. How much of that is due to the blowout nature of the Clippers' recent games and how much of it is because of the knee contusion he suffered a month ago that kept him out for three games, is unclear.

Fortunately, this should be a very winnable game for the Clippers. The Sacramento Kings have the league's worst record and have lost 10 straight games. Mindbogglingly, they have largely stood pat at the trade deadline. Plus, they should have little interest in winning games since they have to increase their lottery odds. To make matters worse for them, Domantas Sabonis is listed as questionable with lower back soreness.

Considering Sacramento's situation, the Clippers have an excellent opportunity to start the new era on the right foot with a road win. Let's see whether they take advantage of it.