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Los Angeles Clippers PF Blake Griffin will return to the lineup soon, but he first has to serve a four-game suspension. He is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 30 games this season.
He has been medically cleared following a torn tendon in his left quad and a broken hand from punching a team trainer.
He’ll become eligible to play again in April against the Washington Wizards, and he’ll need to be focused on getting into shape quickly. The Clippers have played well in his absence, and there has even been some talk in the media about how they might be better off without him. That seems ridiculous to me, although it will be interesting this offseason to see if the Clippers put feelers out on a player like Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Love. Love is from California after all, and Anthony is good friends with Chris Paul.
Paul and J.J. Redick are both playing exceptional basketball from the guard positions, but they’ll need Griffin to be on form to make a playoff run. He created a lot of team friction by socking out a team trainer, and it makes you wonder whether there are some deeper issues at play with this squad. Griffin hasn’t been one to offer the media any clues here, but there are signs that things might be going badly between him and the Clippers.
If they don’t make it to at least the Western Conference Finals this year, then it will probably be time for some changes to be made. That may not involve moving Griffin, but it should certainly entail finding a small forward who can play alongside Paul. Head coach Doc Rivers is hoping that this crew can work it out before any major moves happen, but eventually a team just runs out of time. That point is approaching for the Clippers, and Griffin will have to be sharp down the stretch run for any success to occur with this team.
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