PLAYA VISTA, CA. — The LA Clippers will have to wait longer before they are whole again as sixth man Norman Powell remains out with a shoulder injury.
Powell will miss his sixth straight game against Orlando on Saturday against with a left shoulder subluxation injury suffered at Golden State on March 2.
Head coach Ty Lue said Powell was not slated to practice with the team on Friday.
“He’s gonna be out for a little bit longer,” Lue said. “… he’s out.”
Powell has been a key part of the team off the bench, averaging 16.6 points and 41% shooting from 3. The Clippers have 12 games remaining in the season and have started to find a rhythm with new pieces acquired in February. Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon and Mason Plumlee are all starting to feel comfortable with their roles and minutes.
Lue was asked if he has any concerns trying to reincorporate Powell when he returns with the team playing some of its best basketball of the season of late.
“We always have concerns because Norm’s a big part of what we’ve done all year,” Lue said. “When a guy’s out this long and then you kind of go on a streak and you’re playing good basketball, you’re always concerned about it. But he sees how we’re playing.
“We’re playing the right way and he’s been great for us all year and so it shouldn’t — it won’t be hard to incorporate him back. Just getting him healthy is the most important thing and we just want to make sure he gets enough games in so it won’t happen like it did last year when he had to come back for those last two play-in games — he had no rhythm… and so it really was unfair to him. So just hoping we can get him back sooner than later.”