Los Angeles Clippers star power forward Blake Griffin will require surgery, to remove a staph infection in his right elbow. The Clippers made this announcement before the team’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. Griffin will have surgery on Monday, and it is unknown when the All-Star will be back in action. Coach Doc Rivers had this to say about Griffin’s injury and its longevity.
“It could be a while” coach River’s said and he also stated that he and the team really don’t know when Griffin will back in action.
The Clippers have also said that Griffin will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break, a weekend that Blake Griffin will of course miss, after suffering the injury to his elbow.
Griffin has been plagued with elbow injuries throughout his career, Griffin has also had bursitis in his right elbow and regularly has to have fluid drained from the elbow.
Spencer Hawes will start in Griffin;s place, just as he did last night against Oklahoma City last night. Hawes played well in Griffin’s place, putting up 17 points in a disappointing loss.
Griffin going down injured is a big loss for the Clippers, as he is currently averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Many considered him to still be a contender, albeit a long shot, in the NBA MVP race. Griffin’s productivity has been a big key to the Clippers success, not just this year, but in recent years.
Damian Lillard will replace Blake Griffin in the All-Star game, in a next guy on the list situation; Lillard is the right man to replace Griffin and in my opinion should have been part of the All-Star game roster when it was originally announced.
The Clippers have only won one of their last five games, and losing Griffin for what might be the rest of the season doesn’t help.The Clippers are currently in a playoff spot, as the sixth seed, but with teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder all lurking in behind the Clippers, the position is not secure. Unless this team finds a way around the injury, whether it be through a trade or a bench guy stepping up, they have to do something and fast. If not, then the Clippers playoff chances could be in jeopardy.
Thank you for reading. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
