Clippers to Play Young Players Against Wolves

The LA Clippers finally return home tonight as they face the Minnesota Timberwolves in their second preseason game.

Before the season starts, LA will have to figure out what to do about their 20 man roster. The rotation has yet to be finalized, and we’ve yet to see what some of their younger players can truly do. To help find a solution to the situation, Doc Rivers plans on playing the younger Clipper players in tonight’s game. He named Shai Alexander, Jerome Robinson, Tyrone Wallace, and Sindarius Thornwell as the specific players he plans on playing significantly. These minutes will be crucial for talent like Sindarius Thornwell, as there is a chance he may be one of the players that will be cut from the final roster.

To put into perspective how important these minutes will be for players that may be cut, here are some of the minutes the younger players played last game. The Clippers played Robinson and Wallace 1 minute 25 seconds each against the Sydney Kings on Sunday. Thornwell had zero playing time, and Jawun Evans played for four seconds.

Milos Teodosic (hamstring) will miss tonight’s game, Lou Williams will be resting, and probably one or two more players will be resting. There’s no indication on if the Timberwolves will be resting any players. Do not take tonight’s game as a barometer for the team chemistry of the LA Clippers, just look at it as an opportunity for young talent to showcase themselves.