Before being taken out of Game 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin played in the playoffs despite knowing there was a ‘strong possibility’ he could re-tear his injured quadriceps.
When Blake Griffin returned after missing three months for the Los Angeles Clippers, we knew he was coming back with partial injury. Not as a result of the foolish punching of a team staff member, but because of a persistent tear in his quadricep. It was the injury that initially ruled him out after the Clippers’ game on Christmas, still bothering him months after it should have healed completely. And as we know now, Griffin played in the playoffs despite knowing there was a strong possibility that he could seriously aggravate the injury again.
That was the case in Game 4 as he was pulled from the contest, and according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, Griffin wanted to play regardless in order to help the Clippers make the most of their postseason chance:
"Griffin knew, according to league sources, there was a strong possibility he would re-tear his left quadriceps tendon by playing in the playoffs…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."
Well, there’s no doubt any critics can doubt Blake Griffin’s grit and commitment now. He sacrificed a trip to the Olympics and, most importantly, his health in order to do all he could for the Clippers.
The fact he did aggravate the injury doesn’t even come as too much of a shock, though. While it was understandable he from his usual self after missing three months, Griffin’s noticeable reduction in explosiveness as the playoffs continued wasn’t reassuring that his leg was ok.
Also, upon his return at the beginning of April, Griffin had some issues with the Clippers’ training staff due to how his quad rehabilitation had been mishandled, causing additional stress to the injury (per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times):
"“I don’t want to say ‘misdiagnosed,’” Griffin said of his injury and resulting workout plan, “but [I] wasn’t doing the right things, I guess. We weren’t addressing the initial problem, the main problem.“Everything I was doing was just putting more stress on my knee. The small tear became a three-month thing because I wasn’t doing the right things until we figured it out.”"
To have an injured superstar is one thing. To increase their time of absence due to misdiagnosis and incorrect rehab is another, and it’s worrying when considering the fact that he was still playing through the issue in the playoffs.
So, before his limping became too much to bare in Game 4, there was more to Griffin’s off-form play than him simply building up his explosiveness again and finding a rhythm — he was likely playing with such tentativeness as he knew he could tear a quadriceps tendon at any moment.
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Now, we know that was the case, and along with Chris Paul‘s fractured hand it has rid the Clippers of any chance to contend in the playoffs. Although, seeing as Griffin would have been unable to appear in the playoffs at all if he waited any longer to recover, you have to respect his decision to play through the pain and be there to help his team.
Yes, it didn’t work out, but Griffin wanted to make the most of what could be his final chance at a title with this core, clearly not willing to let the quad hold him back. The fact he still had an injury that was so easy to aggravate comes back to the issues with the training staff, prompting an immediate question as to what could have been for his performance in April if the problem was dealt with correctly a few months ago.
That’s all irrelevant now, though. Because despite knowing what Griffin was willing to go through to be there for the Clippers, Paul breaking a bone in his hand would still have cost the team dearly.
Next: Clippers' expected flaws were too much to overcome in Game 5
Call it the Clippers curse or whatever you like, but this situation with Blake Griffin may have been avoidable altogether if his injury was handled correctly to begin with.
You can add it to one of the many factors that has continued the Clippers’ fate of early playoff exits.