LOS ANGELES – Lou Williams has left the LA Clippers and the NBA's bubble in Orlando. The 14-year guard left on Thursday following the passing of his grandfather, and is expected to rejoin the team soon.
“Lou was here, Pat was here, Trez was here, they had to go for family stuff,” Clippers head coach Doc Rivers following Friday's call with members of the media.
Williams' absence now makes it five players the Clippers are currently without. Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley are also tending to personal matters. Landry Shamet is recovering from the coronavirus. Ivica Zubac is also back home in Los Angeles and hasn't joined the team yet in Orlando.
“I think what the league has learned that teams have already known that it's more than basketball that comes up,” Rivers added following practice Friday without Lou Williams. “Guys have life going on and whether it be a family problem, a kid problem, a wife problem, or anything, there's issues that come in these guys lives. We give guys days off all the time because of it but no one really notices it. Now when we're in a bubble and you leave, it really targets it. So I think in the good way of this, the public actually sees that the NBA players are human, and they do have regular life issues going on. The problem is, usually with the life issues, you can come back to the team and play the next day. Now with the life issues, you have to quarantine for 4 days. That's very tough, but we have to do that so everybody stays healthy.”
This team has caught no breaks as Rivers mentioned. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both missed training camp coming into the season. Even throughout the regular season that saw the Clippers go 44-20, George missed 22 games, Shamet missed 17, Beverley missed 16, and Leonard missed 13. Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris also came on board late in the season with little practice time.
This season, LA used 29 different starting lineups, most in the league, and were 10-1 when fully healthy as well. It's fair to say it's at least a little surprising to see how good the Clippers have been considering their complete lack of practice and game time as a whole unit.
“I do think it always hurts your team when you don't have all your guys. Today we have a practice and a lot of our guys aren't here. That's never healthy for your team, especially a team that really hasn't been together. We're a new team. We had Kawhi and PG miss training camp. PG missed the first 16 games, Kawhi missed games, and Lou… This year so far, we really have not caught a great break as far as being able to work together, but I've gotta say, this team so far they keep impressing me as well with their ability to figure out a way of playing together even though we don't have a loot of minutes on the floor playing together.”
The Clippers won their opening game in the bubble, a 99-90 victory over the Orlando Magic. It was one of three scrimmage games the Clippers will play as they gear up for the seeding games starting July 30th and the postseason sometime shortly after August 14th.
Their next matchup is on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Washington Wizards. They'll try to hold down the fort until the key members are able to rejoin the team.
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