As the Los Angeles Clippers (37-31) continue to battle for a playoff spot while navigating an increasingly difficult schedule, they remain depleted by injury. Here is what we know about the injury status for three key contributors.
Avery Bradley
The Clippers released this statement last week regarding Avery Bradley, which puts Bradley’s recovery timetable at six to eight weeks.
Bradley underwent surgery on March 13th, making the last week of the season the earliest he could return. Bradley has only played in six games for the Clippers after being acquired in the Blake Griffin deal, averaging 9.2 points in 27.5 minutes per game on 47.3% shooting, but only hitting 11.1% from deep.
While Bradley struggled on the floor in his brief time with the team, the Clippers are stretched perilously thin on the wing and are clearly missing his defensive prowess.
Danilo Gallinari
What began as a minor hand injury initially designated as day-to-day has stretched into a four-week ordeal with no end in sight.
Danilo Gallinari initially suffered the injury to his hand on February 22nd, adding to a litany of issues that have limited the forward to only 19 games this season. He has been diagnosed with a hand fracture, and according to Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points, “he’ll have an examination to determine whether or not he will need surgery,” this weekend.
Despite a slow start, Gallinari had shown strong play before suffering the injury, averaging 20.1 points on 48.9% shooting and 42.5% from deep in the month of February. He also was getting to the line almost six times a game, becoming a key cog in the Clippers surprisingly effective post-deadline offense.
Patrick Beverley
In less official news, Patrick Beverley posted this on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/patbev21/status/974079035188895744
While ruled out for the year following surgery on his knee, Beverley has been dropping hints throughout the season that he will be able to return at some point.
He has been limited to eleven games this year but has been an impactful player in terms of culture and attitude for a team left in the lurch after the Griffin trade. Known as a gritty, defense-first player, Beverley’s skill set could be an exceedingly important asset for a Clipper team that would have to face a gauntlet of talented guards in the Western Conference playoffs.
While far less than a concrete assurance of his return, any news is good news for Clippers fans.