Amir

Coffey

The Clippers need a win to extend the series to a decisive Game 7, and Tyronn Lue has changed his starting lineup. Tucker replaces Amir Coffey, who started the three games Kawhi Leonard has missed due to a lingering knee injury. While the veteran forward doesn’t offer much offensively beyond a few corner 3-pointers, his defense and physicality could be impactful for the Clippers.

Kawhi will be sidelined once again, and if they aren’t able to win on the road, then Kawhi’s season will be over. Amir Coffey will continue to start in his place, though he only scored three points in 27 minutes in Game 5.

Kawhi Leonard (knee) is out, so Coffey returns to the starting lineup for Game 4. He started Game 1 but failed to offer much value, finishing with six points, three rebounds, one assist, and two 3-pointers. In addition to Coffey starting, look for Norman Powell to play more minutes off the bench.

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank announced on Sunday afternoon that Leonard will not play, despite the star forward’s desire to do so. It was reported after Game 3 that Leonard’s knee did not respond as hoped, casting doubt on his status for Sunday. The question now is when he will return, with Frank saying Leonard will not play until he can do all he needs to do on the court from a mobility standpoint. Amir Coffey started Game 1 and could return to the lineup, despite the Clippers facing a potential 3-1 deficit.

Leonard was underwhelming in his return to the hardwood in Game 2 with 15 points on 17 shots in a loss. Now he’s back on the injury report. Amir Coffey could return to the starting lineup if Leonard isn’t ready ahead of the weekend.

Leonard is officially available for Tuesday’s game, his first action since March 31. During his pregame media availability, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Kawhi has “checked every box” regarding his progression to being cleared to play. Amir Coffey will return to the bench with Leonard in the lineup, lowering his value in DFS tournaments.

Leonard has not appeared in a game since March 31 and was limited to individual work as recently as Saturday. The questionable tag is encouraging, but this may be a game-time decision for the Clippers (and Leonard) to make. Amir Coffey would remain in the starting lineup if Kawhi cannot play, but he doesn’t offer a high offensive upside.

With the Clippers locked into their first-round matchup for a week or so, Coffey’s playing time increased. He finished the regular season playing 31 minutes or more in four straight games, hitting double figures in scoring in each. With Norman Powell coming off the bench, Coffey will remain in a difficult spot regarding fantasy value in 2024-25. Brandon Boston Jr. (15/7/3/4 with two 3-pointers in 31 minutes) also had a productive afternoon in the Clippers’ final regular season home game at Crypto.com Arena. Next up are the playoffs, with Dallas visiting Los Angeles for Game 1 on April 21.

The outcome of Sunday’s game will not impact the Clippers’ playoff seeding or matchup, so George is one of many rotation players who will not play. Amir Coffey and Brandon Boston Jr. should log heavy minutes, and rookie Kobe Brown is also available to play.

The Clippers will be without most of their usual starters for this game, which will allow some of the younger guys to continue to play big minutes. Bones Hyland isn’t starting, but he should still play a significant role off the bench. Kai Jones isn’t available to play in this game.