Clippers
The Clippers were hoping Bradley Beal would fill the scoring void left by Norman Powell’s exit. Instead, they’re still waiting for him to get healthy.
Beal missed his second straight game Tuesday with back soreness, and the Clippers managed just 79 points in a loss to the Warriors, their fewest in nearly three years.
The offense was stuck in the mud, producing only 10 assists for the second time since Tyronn Lue took over as head coach, per Law Murray of The Athletic.
“We are missing a key component, which is Bradley Beal,” Lue said. “He gives us a shooter, a guy who can playmake, a guy who can handle the basketball as well. You add him to the mix, it does make us better.”
Beal opened the season on a minutes restriction while recovering from offseason knee surgery, scoring just 11 points total in his first two games. Bogdan Bogdanovic has started in his place but is shooting 11.1% from the field.
John Collins hasn’t looked comfortable either, finishing with five points on 2-for-6 shooting Tuesday.
“Sometimes that ball’s not moving as much,” Collins said. “It’s a little bit sticky. Maybe if we get stops and get in transition, it’ll help. A little bit of stagnation on our end. Gotta make it work.”
Nuggets
Jamal Murray said he wanted to change the narrative about his slow starts. Three games in, he’s doing just that.
The Nuggets guard is averaging 30.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds while shooting over 53% from the field and 43% from three.
As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post notes, the sample size is small — but it’s the best start of Murray’s career and could put him in line for his first All-Star appearance.
Head coach David Adelman, though, is more focused on what Murray’s performance means for winning.
“How many All-Stars haven’t won championships?” Adelman said. “How many All-Stars don’t have a triple-double in the Finals? He doesn’t go to the glorified pickup game, but the guy is a champion and one of the best players of this generation.”
Warriors
De’Anthony Melton is inching closer to a return.
The Warriors guard is making “good progress” in his recovery from a torn ACL and has recently ramped up workouts, the team announced.
Melton is now doing individual and small group drills, with plans to join team practices soon, both in Golden State and with Santa Cruz, the club’s G League affiliate.
He’ll be reevaluated in three weeks, putting his regular-season debut sometime around late November.
Melton rejoined the Warriors this summer on a two-year, minimum deal with a player option after being traded away last season while injured.
When healthy, the 27-year-old brings defense, versatility, and secondary playmaking, all things Steve Kerr will welcome into his rotation.
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