When the Clippers signed Bradley Beal to a two-year, roughly $11 million deal this past offseason, the impression was that Los Angeles had secured the third piece of their Big Three alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. 

So far, the breakthrough signing the Clippers hoped for has had a slow start. Beal is averaging 8.2 points, 1.7 assists, and 0.8 rebounds per game while staying on the court for an average of just 20.2 minutes, despite being a key starter.

The main reason behind this low production is something the Clippers have become all too familiar with already this season: injuries. 

Beal missed two games this season with back soreness, a lingering issue that has clearly affected his time on the court. Now, seemingly as soon as his back issue cleared up enough to allow him to be a consistent factor, a new issue has reared its ugly head. 

Clippers head coach Ty Lue announced ahead of Monday's game that Beal would be out for a considerable amount of time to rehab a hip injury. 

This is a major blow to a Los Angeles lineup that has also had to contend with the periodic absence of Leonard, who is dealing with injuries of his own. 

Everything that Beal was supposed to be, a scoring factor at point guard that could pair nicely with Harden, an impact shooter, and a seasoned basketball presence, hasn't manifested because of Beal's inability to stay healthy.

His extended absence couldn't come at a worse time, either. The Clippers are mired in a losing season with just a 3-6 record going into Monday night. The high potential of the team they have hasn't been realized largely because their team hasn't been able to share the court enough.

With Beal out for some time, Lue is pivoting to John Collins to step into the starting lineup. Collins has come off the bench in all nine games for the Clippers this season and has been a solid option in his limited usage, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. 

Lue didn't divulge many details regarding Beal's exact status beyond that he was out. When pressed if there was concern that Beal's injury would extend past Monday, Lue quickly confirmed that it would.

When Lue was asked if Beal was undergoing an MRI, he didn't have any answers.

This has been the latest chapter in an injury-plagued career for Beal, and with the timeline foggy, it could be some time before he's back on the court.