The Los Angeles Clippers continue to navigate a challenging early stretch of the season, and all eyes are once again on Bradley Beal’s status heading into Monday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
Beal was officially listed as questionable with left hip soreness, the same issue that limited him during his recent return to action. However, he is no longer expected to see action versus the Hawks, with Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints reporting that the veteran guard has already been ruled out for the game.
In his return last week, Beal struggled mightily to find rhythm or efficiency. He scored just five points on 2-of-14 shooting from the field, including 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. His night also included one rebound, one assist, two turnovers, and three fouls.
Without James Harden, who is away on personal leave, and Kawhi Leonard, who remains out with a right ankle sprain, Beal was expected to shoulder the scoring load. Instead, he looked uncomfortable, rushed, and out of sync in nearly every phase of the offense.
The Clippers are in an unusual position: they need Beal’s shot creation and scoring punch, but rushing him back while he’s still regaining conditioning and timing could set back his progress.
On the other side, the Atlanta Hawks will also be without star guard Trae Young, who remains out with a right knee MCL sprain. Jalen Johnson is listed as questionable with a quad contusion, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker is questionable due to a back spasm. The Hawks’ rotation could look significantly different depending on pre-game evaluations.
Both teams are dealing with injuries to their primary offensive engines, making this matchup one that could favor whichever supporting cast finds a scoring rhythm first.
With Beal still sidelined, the Clippers will be forced to piece together an offense by committee, led by Harden, who entered Monday with season averages of 22.0 points and 9.1 assists per game.
