Clippers News: Landry Shamet tests positive for coronavirus

As the Los Angeles Clippers get ready to travel to Orlando this week, Landry Shamet will be unable to join them after an unfortunate diagnosis.

We have not seen Clippers basketball since the NBA went on hiatus back in mid-March of this year, but fans are eagerly awaiting the league’s resumption in Orlando.

The league is calling back 22 teams to compete in a bubble down in Orlando, FL where the final playoff seeding will be figured out. The Clippers currently sit as the no. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 44-20. Just ahead of them are “the other” Los Angeles team, the Lakers, who are 49-14.

Obviously, the Clippers won’t have to worry about missing the playoffs or fighting for their lives, like the Pelicans or Spurs, for example. But, taking hold of the number one seed might just be plausible.

This week, the Clippers head down to Orlando to begin preparing for the season to resume. Unfortunately, they will have to do it without young point guard Landry Shamet, who tested positive for COVID-19.

Shamet has been an important part of the Clippers’ run this season, having to start 27 games overall while playing in 47, total.

Now, he will have to quarantine for a couple of weeks before having the chance to pass with a negative test and re-join his teammates.

On the season, Shamet has averaged 9.7 points, 1.9 assists, 1.9 rebounds and is shooting a blistering 39 percent from deep. As one of the team’s top sharp-shooters, Shamet takes nearly six three-pointers per game. His scoring is sparse, but incredibly reliable.

The Clippers will be one of the first eight teams to open play when the season resumes. Their first action comes as the “home” team when they take on the Orlando Magic in a scrimmage on July 22nd at 3:00PM ET. By then, Shamet may have had a couple of days with his teammates and could have gotten in a handful of practices, even.

There is always the chance that he’s not yet recovered, though, which would be a tough loss for Los Angeles. If that was the case, the Clippers would rely heavily on Patrick Beverley, of course, along with Reggie Jackson and Lou Williams, the other two primary guards.

Hopefully, Shamet is able to rest, recover and stay safe during this time so that he can get back to his teammates sooner rather than later. After all, he and his guys have a real shot to win it all, which would be the ultimate way to top off such a tragic year.