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LOS ANGELES – Isaiah Hartenstein‘s left ankle injury is just the latest in a long line of injuries that have piled up for the LA Clippers. The team has continued to battle this season despite losing multiple players due to injury and/or NBA health and safety protocols. The team has played without Kawhi Leonard all season as he recovers from ACL surgery. Now, they'll also be without Paul George for at least a month as he recovers from a UCL tear in his right elbow.
Hartenstein has been out since December 18th, when he suffered a sprained left ankle against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The backup big man has been a revelation for the Clippers, averaging career-highs at 7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game on 66.2 percent shooting from the field.
The Clippers, who are 16-13 in the games that Hartenstein has played, are not expected to get the big man back anytime in the next week. Hartenstein, who has yet to resume running, told ClutchPoints he'll likely stay in Los Angeles to rehab his injured ankle during the Clippers' upcoming three-game trip this week. When asked about the big man this past week, head coach Tyronn Lue said there was no timetable for his return.
In the four games that Hartenstein has missed, Serge Ibaka has been the primary big man off the bench. The 13 year vet is averaging 7.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block per game on 55.6 percent shooting from the field.
Hartenstein's club has lost two consecutive games and five of their last six. His absence wouldn't be as costly if the Clippers didn't also lose Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris to health and safety protocols. Lue had been staggering Jackson and Eric Bledsoe, who has started each of the last three games Jackson has missed.
With Bledsoe as the starter, the second unit has lacked a true point guard who can bring the ball up, push in transition, and create for others. The only guy in the second unit to really do that was Isaiah Hartenstein, who has now missed the last four games and isn't expected back in the very near future.
After Monday's loss, Lue even brought up how much the second unit misses Hartenstein.
“We just got to find ways to settle that second unit down and make them comfortable kind of play through guys. It put Serge in a tough spot as well because he don’t have a guy who can make a play for him. Isaiah was good for that second unit because he can make plays for guys, so we're struggling with that right now, so we just got to figure that part out because with Reggie out when we had PG, we could put PG on the basketball, but now with both of those guys out it makes a little tough.”
"We're gonna have to figure it out, see what we can do. It worked tonight, so it was cool to see them out there without me. It was kinda sad, but it's whatever."
Terance Mann on the breakup of the Clippers' LIT crew (Luke Kennard, Isaiah Hartenstein, Terance Mann) pic.twitter.com/N2vC6Hl8Ya
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 9, 2021
The Clippers three-game road trip includes a trip to Boston to face the Celtics on Wednesday before a New Year's Eve/New Year's Day back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets. After that, they'll come home for a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
