2:15pm: The Clippers have now confirmed Griffin’s sprained MCL, announcing in a press release that he didn’t sustain any structural damage in his left knee. However, the team’s announcement indicated that recovery for this specific injury can take up to about eight weeks (Twitter link via David Aldridge). That’s in line with a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that Griffin’s recovery could take two months.
2:03pm: The Clippers fear that Griffin could be sidelined for at least the next month, per Sam Amick of USA Today.
1:38pm: Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL after leaving Monday night’s game with a left knee injury, a source tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times first reported earlier today that the Clippers suspected an MCL sprain. According to Aldridge, Griffin will be out for “a while.”
The Clippers have yet to confirm the diagnosis or to announce a recovery timetable for Griffin, but Aldridge suggests the team is relieved that the news wasn’t worse. Griffin sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win over the Lakers when he got entangled with Austin Rivers and Lonzo Ball, and it didn’t look good at first glance, with the big man’s knee bending awkwardly as he fell to the floor.
A long-term injury for Griffin, in the wake of a season-ending knee issue for point guard Patrick Beverley, would have been devastating for the Clippers, who have also been without Milos Teodosic and Danilo Gallinari for much of the season. The club entered the season expecting to earn a playoff spot, but dropped nine games in a row this month and currently sits in the lottery at 8-11.
We’ll wait for official word from the Clippers on Griffin’s injury before speculating about what it might mean for the rest of the team’s season. However, if the five-time All-Star misses several weeks and the Clips fall further out of postseason contention, this will be a franchise worth keeping an eye on. DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams are among the veterans on track for 2018 free agency who would have value on the trade market, and Doc Rivers‘ future in L.A. would be uncertain if the team rebuilds – or even just retools – its roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Man clippers cursed as hell, traded HOF in the draft, CP3, Doc Rivers canceling the Carmelo Anthony trade, never getting pass the second round, and Injuries. Such a shame
Forgot, la needs to fire rivers. Might as well blow up the team then?
No. Cursed would be a different group of players getting injured every year.
Clippers keep trotting out the same injury prone guys year after year, so of course they keep getting injured. That’s not cursed, that’s just stupidity.
Then re-signed the guy to a max deal.
Triston, 1st rounder for deandre
Zizic or Calderon for Willie Reed would do. Shumpert would have to be added to TT… but it’s the pick that mgmt would have a problem with… and that beating GSW is what mgmt cares about… how does Jordan do vs them is the question.