Welcome to the Clippers, Blake.
After an off-season that saw star power forward Blake Griffin injure his shoulder, his regular season debut has been postponed after suffering a broken kneecap in an exhibition game last Friday. Though initially reported as a sore knee, it was revealed late Monday that Griffin's kneecap was, in fact, broken. From ESPN:
Griffin apparently broke his kneecap during the Clippers' final exhibition game against New Orleans last Friday, perhaps after a dunk that left the power forward wincing in pain. The team initially said Griffin only had a sore left knee, making him questionable for the opener, before revealing the break.
Griffin was the consensus college player of the year with 22.7 points and an NCAA-best 14.4 rebounds per game last season for the Sooners.
After the Clippers won the draft lottery and selected him, Griffin strained his right shoulder during a summer league game in July. The team brought him back cautiously, and Griffin said he was totally healthy in the preseason.
His latest injury is a sadly unsurprising setback for the star-crossed Clippers, who won just 19 games last year in an injury-plagued season. Los Angeles has just two winning seasons in the past 30 years and just one playoff series victory since moving to town in 1984.
Listen, Blake. If you demand a trade…no one will judge you.