When the Boston Celtics take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, December 29, they will be without a 6x All-Star who made five of those appearances while wearing a Clippers jersey — that being against reserve big man Blake Griffin.
Griffin will be absent with a non-COVID-19 illness against the team that took him with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft and one he spent his first eight seasons in the Association on. The Oklahoma product was traded to the Detroit Pistons in January 2018 shortly after signing a five-year, $171 million extension the offseason prior.
Griffin has appeared in 15 games this year, starting eight of them. He has typically been the fill-in center when Al Horford sits, though that is likely to change now with Robert Williams III back in the lineup.
Malcolm Brogdon is questionable for the Boston Celtics against the Clippers
The Boston Celtics could also be without their marquee 2022 offseason addition, Malcolm Brogdon, when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, December 29 at the TD Garden. Brogdon was seen going through his pregame routine in the afternoon, with a decision on his availability pending the results.
Brogdon’s absence could give teams around the league a chance to look at the C’s third-year guard Payton Pritchard, who is rumored to be heavily looked at right now by many teams around the league. In turn, one of the biggest question marks surrounding Boston’s roster could move closer to an answer with Pritchard building up his value.
Should Brogdon play, he’ll likely resume his sixth man role. He’ll be opposing Luke Kennard and Norm Powell in the Clippers backcourt in the case that his illness doesn’t prevent him from finding the floor.