The Los Angeles Clippers are in Oklahoma City, visiting the Thunder for their third game of the season on Sunday. After splitting the first two games of the season, the Clippers are going up against the undefeated Thunder, who have arguably looked like the best team in the league so far.

The Clippers have been short-handed to start the season. Injuries to Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, Jordan Miller, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser have tested the Clippers' depth already. LA has had to rely on its emergency backups and has gotten mixed results.

Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal, and Max Strus Out vs. Thunder

Unfortunately, this will continue against the Thunder. All of the aforementioned players are listed as out on the injury report ahead of the 7 pm EST tip-off.

The problem is that none of the five players is particularly close to returning.

Miller will be sidelined for the next few months after undergoing rotator cuff surgery in the offseason. Strus will miss the next few weeks after tearing his plantar fascia in the preseason. Niederhauser is still ramping up in his recovery from Lisfranc surgery last season. Beal remains without a timetable to return as his knee is being managed for pain. Ingram, who had heel surgery back in May, will be out for at least a couple more weeks.

To make matters harder for the Clippers, the Thunder are as healthy as one can realistically expect. Besides Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber, who were not expected to be a part of the rotation anyways and are dealing with long-term injuries, OKC is fully healthy.

In the absence of their injured veterans, the Clippers will continue to start Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. on the perimeter. Rui Hachimura will get the start at the four, while Isaiah Jackson will be the starting center.

This, understandably, puts a lot of pressure on Darius Garland. As the only reliable shot creator in the starting lineup, Garland will be facing an uphill battle against one of the best defenses in the NBA.

OKC has several elite, physical defenders that they can throw at Garland. It's difficult to imagine the short-handed Clippers being able to score efficiently against the Thunder defense. If they are going to have a shot at keeping it close against OKC, they have to do it on the defensive end.

Starting Dunn and Jones Jr. next to Garland gives the Clippers a higher defensive floor. Off the bench, Brook Lopez provides solid rim protection. But the injuries are forcing the Clippers to play Gradey Dick and give Keaton Wagler an extended run. They will be defensive liabilities against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the potent OKC attack.

Considering the long injury report for the Clippers, Sunday's clash will be more about individual performances and improvement than the score. Let's hope that the Clippers look as competitive as possible against the red-hot Thunder.