Los Angeles Clippers Roster, Injury News 2017: All-Star Forward Blake Griffin Could Return to Play This Friday
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin could return to action far sooner than expected.
The All-Star was supposed to miss up to eight weeks after he sprained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee during their game against the Lakers on Nov. 27. However, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has hinted that Griffin could return from the injury as soon as this Friday, when they take on the Lakers.
"Will he play tonight? No. Will he play the next game? He actually could," Rivers said before the Clippers' game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, via ESPN. "He's that close," he added.
Of course, Griffin may not suit up in Friday's game, but it's surprising to hear that he may now be healthy enough to return to the court. After all, it's been only a month since he got hurt. As of the moment, Griffin is still waiting for the team doctors to give him the green light to play, so he still doesn't know if he's going to be available on Friday.
"That's why we have the team doctors. That's why we have the training staff that we do. They have done a great job so far putting together ... a rehab plan and pushing me and getting to this point. So, it'll continue to be a team thing," Griffin said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"I'm just attacking the rehab and every challenge that they give me every single day. So, it's all kind of subjective on how things go," he added.
Griffin is averaging 23.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 0.9 steals in under 36 minutes a game this season before he sprained his MCL. His field goal percentage is down this year (42.5 percent) because he has been taking more shots from the outside. The five-time All-Star has taken 6.1 threes per game thus far and he's making 35.3 percent of his attempts.
