After having surgery on both shoulders this summer, rumors are circulating that LA Clippers’ star Paul George could miss the first six weeks of the season.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, LA Clippers’ star Paul George could miss the first six weeks of the 2019-20 NBA season. O’Connor made this comment on the August 6 episode of The Ringer NBA Show. (You can check out the whole show below, with the comment happening at about the 24:00 mark)
In May after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s season had ended, George underwent surgery on his right shoulder to repair a partially torn tendon. A month later, he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a small labrum tear in his left shoulder.
George had played the end of the season with the Thunder with both shoulders bothering him, but was able to tough it out and continue to play at a high level. At the time of the surgery, Thunder doctors were unable to give a timeline and just said “his status will be evaluated before the start of the upcoming season.”
According to O’Connor, the Clippers already have an idea of when he will return. Labrum surgery usually take about eight to twelve weeks to heal from before athletes can start ramping up activity. According to Hopkins Medicine (and some personal experience), “a vast majority of patients have full function of the shoulder after labrum repair, and most patients can return to their previous level of sports with no or few restrictions.”
Being without George for the first six weeks would obviously hurt the Clippers. We’ll know in a couple of days when the NBA schedule releases just how much it will hurt them. With opening night against the Lakers already set in stone, the Clippers could be fighting a tough battle.
Obviously, the Clippers squad will be able to stay afloat. With Kawhi Leonard leading the charge and most of the team returning from last year’s surprising playoff berth, the Clippers have more than enough talent to come out swinging even if George is not on the court.
There has been no official news yet from the Clippers, so hopefully O’Connor is getting bad info here. As the season approaches, we will likely get more concrete information, so make sure to keep checking back here for all your LA Clippers news and rumors!