The Clippers announced not quite an hour ago that they are calling up Johnathan Motley from the Agua Caliente Clippers for the game against the Kings tonight.
Motley has been a wrecking ball down in Ontario, averaging 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game on 56.5% shooting from the field while making 30% of his threes (on 3.3 attempts per game). He’s working on developing his jumper, but Motley is most effective in the painted area, where he acts like Montrezl Harrell-lite in terms of his energy and willingness to attack the basket.
This is a sign that Marcin Gortat will likely miss tonight’s game, and with both Boban Marjanovic and Montrezl Harrell playing significant minutes last night, the Clippers need reinforcements on their frontline. Motley might even get the start tonight, as Harrell is always brought off the bench, and the Kings fast-paced tempo and high-flying athleticism might be a bad matchup for Boban.
It remains to be seen if Motley will just join the Clippers for this one game. Gortat’s injury does not appear to be serious, but if he misses another game or two Motley might stick around. Motley is a ton of fun to watch, so he should be another great addition to an already exciting Clippers’ team.