NBA Saturday: Clippers lose at home, John Wall returns

Welcome back, John Wall. So very nice to have you.

Hill has missed the entire season thus far with a bone bruise in his right knee. The Clippers have gone 28-8 in Hill’s absence, and it will be interesting to see how Del Negro manages the rotation with the forward’s return to the lineup. Los Angeles has one of the deepest teams in the NBA, and their bench unit has established an excellent chemistry. While Hill is a savvy veteran who’s unlikely to disturb that precious chemistry, barring injury, it may be somewhat of a challenge finding him consistent minutes.

While Shumpert did struggle at times offensively in his rookie season, his real impact came on the defensive end. The guard established himself as one of the Knicks’ best perimeter defenders last year, and his presence will be much welcomed on a team that has fallen off defensively after a hot start.

The Nets’ forward has already missed eight games this season due to injury. Wallace injured his ankle in the season opener and proceeded to miss the team’s next six games. He has also missed time with a knee injury.

For the season, Wallace is averaging 9.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. However, his impact often goes beyond the box score, as his seemingly limitless heart and hustle helps bring energy to the Nets. There’s a reason his nickname is “Crash.”