Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - October 25th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The LA Clippers will look to get their first win of the 2021-22 NBA season when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. The two Western Conference rivals will face each other twice this week, with their second matchup scheduled for Friday in Oregon.
Head coach Chauncey Billups' tenure with the Blazers has started with five straight losses, including preseason. They routed the Phoenix Suns by 29 points in their last game to earn their first win under Billups. Damian Lillard has struggled shooting the ball off late, but his backcourt partner CJ McCollum has been lights out. McCollum dropped 34 points on 14-24 shooting against the Kings in their first game and 28 points on 10-19 shooting against the Suns.
Meanwhile, the LA Clippers have lost both their games so far this season. They fell victim to Stephen Curry's shooting wizardry in their season opener as the two-time MVP dropped 45 points on 64% shooting with eight threes.
Paul George was spectacular in that game, registering 29 points on 12-23 shooting. He then followed that up with a 41-point outburst against the Memphis Grizzlies. Unfortunately, the Clippers couldn't win against the Grizzlies' balanced attack.
Portland Trail Blazers Injury Report
The Portland Trail Blazers lost their starting small forward, Norman Powell, in their last game against Phoenix. Powell played just 12 minutes in that game, but contributed 16 points in that span before leaving with a left knee injury. He is ruled out until further update on his condition.
Powell (16 points) left the blowout victory over Phoenix in the second quarter and didn’t return to game. He underwent initial imaging on Saturday night, per sources. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
The only other player on their injury report is Tony Snell, who is sidelined due to sprain in his right foot.
LA Clippers Injury Report
![Serge Ibaka and Kawhi Leonard are both out for the LA Clippers [Image Source: ESPN]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/5d6b0-16351668340211-1920.jpg)
The LA Clippers have the same players as they did in their last game. Jason Preston is out, as he is recovering from a right foot injury. He underwent surgery on October 7th, 2021, and is expected to miss a large chunk of the regular season. Rookie Keon Johnson is listed as questionable, due to illness.
Meanwhile, their two starters, Serge Ibaka and Kawhi Leonard, are both out for the foreseeable future. Ibaka is recovering from a lower back injury that kept him out for half of last season. Meanwhile, Leonard is rehabilitating from an ACL tear, and his return timeline is undecided.
Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers: Predicted Lineups
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers' lineup will change with Powell's absence, but the rest of their starters should remain the same. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum make the star backcourt, with Lillard running point. Jusuf Nurkic should retain his center spot while Robert Covington will likely be the power forward.
There are a few possibilities about how coach Billups fills in Norman Powell's position. Larry Nance Jr. could be the new small forward or if he plays the power forward, Covington could fill in the 3.
If he wants Nance Jr. off the bench to be with the second unit, Billups can make Nassir Little the small forward. And finally, if the Portland Trail Blazers want to deploy a small and shooting lineup, so Ben McLemore is the final choice for the 3 spot.
LA Clippers
The LA Clippers feature no surprises in their injury report, so they will likely deploy the same lineup they did in their last game. Reggie Jackson is the team's new starting point guard, with Eric Bledsoe starting as the two-guard until Leonard returns.
Paul George has shifted to the small forward position, and Marcus Morris Sr. plays the power forward with Nicolas Batum coming off the bench. Finally, the center is Ivica Zubac, who has been excellent as the starting big man while Serge Ibaka is out.
Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers: Predicted Starting 5s
Portland Trail Blazers
G - Damian Lillard | G - CJ McCollum | F - Larry Nance Jr. | F - Robert Covington | C - Jusuf Nurkic.
LA Clippers
G - Reggie Jackson | G - Eric Bledsoe | F - Paul George | F - Marcus Morris Sr. | C - Ivica Zubac.