The Los Angeles Clippers’ season was effectively finished when they lost point guard Chris Paul to a broken hand and power forward Blake Griffin to a torn quad. The Griffin injury, especially, came as a devastating blow with the big-man having just recovered from a similar injury.
Except, he may never have fully recovered. According to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, Griffin knew there would be a “strong possibility” of re-tearing his quad if he played again.
Griffin could’ve and maybe should’ve undergone the procedure to fix the tendon immediately after suffering the injury on Christmas, according to league sources, but it would’ve ended his Clippers season because of a four- to six-month recovery.
Griffin’s decision in December also meant he was knowingly surrendering his chance of playing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, because he was told he would need the significant bone-marrow-injection procedure eventually. If he did it in December and used the NBA season to recover, he could be back for a summer with USA Basketball.
There is a lot to take in here. The decision for Griffin to not undergo the necessary procedures probably did not have an effect on the Clippers’ playoff chances, considering it would have sidelined him for the remainder of the year.
However, in terms of Griffin’s health, it is a huge mistake from the Clippers’ trainers. Re-tearing the quad may make the injury even worse, and with the long timetable, there is a chance he is not ready to play at the beginning of next season. Furthermore, Blake will be unable to play for Team USA in the Olympics, a big blow to his own desires.
The Clippers looked at this situation in an incredibly short-sighted way. By letting Griffin attempt to heal his quad naturally, instead of undergoing the procedure necessary to fully correct it, they put him at a high risk of re-injury. It was a move designed to give them a slightly higher chance of a deep run in the playoffs and instead it has contributed to an untimely exit and potentially negative effects to their next season.
This is an untimely and bad look for the Clippers and their training staff.
