Over the weekend, Clippers star forward Blake Griffin suffered a concussion after Warriors big man JaVale McGee accidentally elbowed him in the head. Since then, close attention has been paid to the All-Star’s path through the concussion protocol and, with a nationally televised rematch against Golden State looming on Wednesday, some optimism had appeared that Griffin could return under those bright lights.
However, Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated reported on Tuesday evening that Griffin does not expect to clear the protocol prior to Wednesday’s scheduled tip-off. In the grand scheme, Griffin is a player that the Clippers have every incentive to be careful with, as the team boasts a pedestrian 18-21 record on the season and has their centerpiece locked up to a massive, five-year contract.
There is, of course, the argument that this particular Clippers squad needs every win it can get given the backdrop of potential rebuilding in the near future. Following the game against Golden State, the Clippers will square off against the Sacramento Kings (also on the road) on Thursday and, if nothing else, perhaps Griffin will display encouraging signs that could allow him to return in that spot.
The Clippers are better and more fun when Blake Griffin plays, but that probably won’t be the case on Wednesday.
