Expect the Utah Jazz to roll out Oscar Tshiebwe at some point against the Los Angeles Clippers.
According to Jazz head coach Will Hardy via Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, Tshiebwe will see the floor against the Clippers for his official season debut, after spending the majority of his time this season with Utah’s G League affiliate, the SLC Stars.
Jazz starters tonight:
Collier
Mykhailiuk
Sensabaugh
Hendricks
Filipowski
Hardy says Oscar Tshiebwe will see the court tonight as well.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) January 2, 2026
The Jazz will also be displaying a brand new starting lineup amid their injury-plagued outlook for the night in Los Angeles: Isaiah Collier will get his first start of the season as the Jazz’s point guard, Svi Mykhailiuk and Brice Sensabaugh will fill out the wings, and Taylor Hendricks and Kyle Filipowski will be the four and five, respectively.
As for Tshiebwe, the third-year big man has been activated for multiple games this season from his two-way deal just in case the Jazz needed extra big man depth, but have yet to give him any playing time for those appearances.
Though, with Hardy confirming his rotation plans against the Clippers considering their shorthanded landscape for the night ahead, there isn’t much doubt about what’s to come for Utah’s fan favorite on the road in Los Angeles.
Oscar Tshiebwe to Get Playing Time vs. Clippers
The Jazz will be without several of their rotational players during their matchup against the Clippers, including four of their starters and both of their usual rotational centers.
Keyonte George is out with an illness, Lauri Markkanen is out with a knee injury, Jusuf Nurkic is out of the mix with a toe injury, Ace Bailey continues to be sidelined with a hip issue, and Kevin Love will rest for a second-straight games.
That leaves a clear opening for Tshiebwe to get some run for the first time this season––one of the Jazz’s three two-way signees this season, along with Elijah Harkless and rookie John Tonje––and will bring some additional size and rebounding upside into the lineup, especially while Utah is down both of their typical centers in the rotation, and of course, Walker Kessler, who’s out with his season-ending shoulder injury.
Oct 13, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward/center Oscar Tshiebwe (34) looks to steal the ball from Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images
During his last season with the Jazz, Tshiebwe played in 22 total games, starting in 14 of them, averaging 7.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in just over 18 minutes a game, being one of the best rebounders on the floor in the minutes that came his way.
He’ll have a perfect opportunity to prove that skillset once again for the first time this year once the action gets rolling against the Clippers, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. MT in the Intuit Dome.
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