Clippers Announce Unexpected Change to Injury Report vs. Jazz

The LA Clippers announced on Friday afternoon that backup center Daniel Theis has been downgraded to questionable for tonight's game vs. the Utah Jazz due to an illness. Theis has played really well for the Clippers since being acquired off waivers from the Indiana Pacers, giving the Clippers solid center minutes off the bench in the injury absence of Mason Plumlee.

If Theis is unable to go, the Clippers will either opt for small ball with PJ Tucker at the backup five, or go with young center Moussa Diabate in those minutes. Diabate played for the Ontario Clippers in their G-League game on Thursday, but is not listed on the injury report, meaning he should be in Utah for this game. Even if the initial plan was for Diabate to be inactive for this game, there is still enough time for the Clippers to get him ready if needed.

With how Theis has played for the Clippers, they will have an interesting decision to make once Plumlee returns from injury. While Theis can space the floor a bit, making a pairing with him and Plumlee a possibility on the offensive end, there are some defensive concerns with those two together as a second unit front court. That said, this is a good problem to have for a Clippers team that spent much of last season without a backup center.