Paul George poised to make Clippers debut against Pelicans

Los Angeles, November 14: Paul George is likely to make his long-awaited Los Angeles Clippers bow against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday (November 14).

George sat out Wednesday's 102-93 loss to the Houston Rockets as the star recruit continues to rehabilitate from a pair of offseason shoulder operations.

The two minor shoulder surgeries have postponed George's Clippers debut, however, the six-time NBA All-Star is poised to make his first appearance for Los Angeles.

Asked about George and his potential debut prior to the midweek defeat to the Rockets, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said: "Maybe tomorrow (Thursday, November 14) or whenever we play after that."

George – along with 2018-19 champion Kawhi Leonard – joined the Clippers in the close season, with the Oklahoma City Thunder trading the 29-year-old for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first-round picks.

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While George is set to make his debut, he may not do so alongside Leonard as the Clippers navigate back-to-back games.

Leonard has already sat out this season due to load management and Rivers added: "Honestly, it has probably been harder than we thought because we are still in the process of getting Kawhi right 100 percent, and then you don't have Paul at all.

"Then you have a select few practices, and you have to make a choice every practice: Do you put Paul in the line-up even though he's not playing, but then you got to play tomorrow with another group, or do you put Paul in the second group, and we have chosen the second group, even the third group at times.

"I don't think he's yet to play even one minute with the starting line-up yet. It's just going to take time."