LOS ANGELES – The L.A. Clippers entered this postseason having completed the goal of being relatively healthy and ready for the big stage. For the second season in a row, however, the Clippers will not be able to compete at full health following the news that their star power forward Blake Griffin would miss the remainder of the season with an injury to the plantar plate of his right big toe.
It's an unfortunately common theme for the Clippers over the last couple of seasons, and it's hard for teammate Chris Paul to watch this sort of thing happen to his good friend and teammate.
“Going through as much as me and big fella have, it's always tough,” explained a somber Paul hours after finding out about Griffin's devastating diagnosis. “Somebody like that, you just hate for dumb stuff like this to happen. When you know how hard somebody works, the fans, everybody, they don't get an opportunity to see that. So somebody that's as dedicated to the process, the training, and the working out…for something like that to happen, you hate to see it.”
Over the last three seasons, Griffin has missed a total of 83 games (14 in 2014-15, 47 in 2015-16, and 21 in 2016-17). Just in the last two postseasons, Griffin's seasons have been cut short due to injury and not allowed the Clippers to realize their full potential. It's unfortunate, but it's how the ball rolls sometimes.
“We will [respond], but first and foremost, we've got to take care of him,” added Paul. “It puts things into perspective. Basketball, the playoffs, that's one thing, but its life too. For us, we'll worry about the game when it's that time, but right now its about consoling one of the leaders of our team. This means more to him than anything.
“It's part of this league and the business we're in. Unfortunately, we've played without me, we've played without Blake, we're playing without Austin right now, but it's next man up. Like I said, I'm worried about him first and foremost, he has a family. Going through the process of lifting weights every day, the training, and all that stuff, you just want an opportunity to play.”
During the timeout that was called in the middle of Game 3, head coach Doc Rivers was looking for Griffin to enter the huddle and wasn't even aware that the forward went back to the locker room with the injury.
“He's had no [previous] issues, it just happened on a play,” said Rivers. “I watched it [again] and I still couldn't pick it up. I couldn't find it, but I saw him limping. It was one of those ‘no-one-around' injures which always are the worst injuries.
“We'll respond, we'll be good. Obviously we need Blake, but he's not going to play and we know that. We gotta get the guys ready for the next game. It's a huge game.”
Doc Rivers adds that Griffin will remain with the team and then fly back to Los Angeles where he'll be evaluated again. Surgery is considered a possibility depending on the severity of Griffin's injury.
“We talked to Blake last night…,” said Rivers. “Just can't imagine how heartbroken he is over this. You just feel bad for him.
“He's out for the rest of the season. It's not a desperate measure, it's just the truth. He's out. It is what it is.”
No one player can replace the playmaking and post presence or the 21.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists that Griffin brings to the table. However, forward Marreese Speights will start for the Clippers and they'll likely play Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, and Wesley Johnson more against the Jazz.
“It has to be by committee,” said Paul about how to make up for Griffin's absence. “Blake means too much to our team. Offensively, defensively, his presence. We play through him. So it's going to be by committee; we don't have one person that we could be like ‘oh, Blake's out, put him in.'”
Although his status is still very much in the air for the rest of the series, the return of Austin Rivers would be a very welcome addition to the Clippers lineup. He's been out with a hamstring strain since late March, but has long been targeting a return sometime between Games 3 and 5.
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