Paul George practiced with the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday for the first time since tearing his UCL in December. This, according to the Clippers, is the next step in his rehab and ramp-up process for a potential return.
“We don’t know yet (about when he could come back), but he’s doing good,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “He hasn’t felt any pain, so that’s a positive thing. Just working on his conditioning and just making sure he can continue to go through the minimal contact without having any issues. As of right now it hasn’t been a problem.”
George last played on Dec. 22, and Los Angeles has gone 19-23 since then, with a -3.0 point differential. The eighth-place Clippers are 36-38 on the season overall, with a -1.4 point differential.
Before the injury, George was carrying a heavy load for Los Angeles, as Kawhi Leonard has been out for the entire season. In 26 games, George averaged 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists, with a career-high 33.2 percent usage rate and a career-low 52.8 percent true shooting percentage. In his absence, Reggie Jackson has had to shoulder a lot of that load — Jackson has had a 29 percent usage rate in the 1,463 minutes he has played without George this season.
George is still listed as out with the elbow injury for the Clippers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
In other injury news, Lue said that guard Norman Powell “was able to do some stuff on the court yesterday. Nothing too serious. But he was on the court doing some things. Nothing that involves contact or anything like that but he is on the floor a little bit doing what he should.” Powell, acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in February, played only three games for the Clippers before injuring his foot. He last appeared in a game on Feb. 10.
Lue did not offer a status update on Leonard.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
