Getty Images Paul George with The Los Angeles Clippers
Paul George, small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, has been out due to surgery on both of his shoulders. Though there is no official update on the star’s status, according to Clippers reporter, Jovan Buha, George was seen playing 3-3 at practice today, November 2.
The 6’8″ 220-pound basketball player, has missed the start of the season but did note that he was shooting for a November return. Though it is only the beginning of the month, Buha said the star looked “solid” in today’s practice.
This news may excite Clippers fans, but the team’s head coach, Doc Rivers, said that George would be out for the first 10 games at least. The Clippers are six games into the season, so George, who was acquired via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, still has a few more games of rest.
Here’s what you need to know about Paul George’s injury:
Paul George Injured His Shoulder Last Season With the Thunder
Paul George with Oklahoma City Thunder.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young said that George was injured on February 26 while with the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game against the Denver Nuggets
George battled with shoulder pain for a while, though it was almost unrecognizable. ‘Playoff P’ still stepped onto the court in full force and averaged 28 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
George underwent two surgeries following this offseason, and one of the two came as a bit of a surprise.
Paul George told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that he underwent surgery on both of his shoulders which was a shock to a lot of fans. Fans were only aware of one of his surgeries. Per Maloney with CBS Sports, George had surgery on his right rotator cuff and on his left labrum. ESPN’s Royce Young reported in June that PG’s surgery was successful and his recovery time remained the same.
Paul George had successful surgery on his left shoulder to repair a tear in his labrum, per a Thunder spokesperson. Recovery timetable is the same it was when he had surgery on his right shoulder a few weeks ago — reassessed around the start of training camp.
Paul George’s Recovery Timetable
Per NBA Reporter, Mark Medina, there is no concrete timetable for Paul George’s recovery. Rivers says the six-time NBA All-Star will be out for at least 10 games but George says he doesn’t know exactly on the timeline.
“I’m where I want to be right now at this point in the season almost starting,” George told ESPN. “I like where the progression is going…I will be out of the preseason. As of now, I’ll be out of October fully, but who knows? We’ll see. In the November range is our target date.”
Clippers haven’t given a concrete timetable on Paul George’s return. But Doc Rivers said in passing that Paul George “is not going to be here for the first 10.” Hence, George might be out until Nov. 13 in Houston
November 13 is just around the corner. If Paul George continues on his road to recovery and continues to practice with The Los Angeles Clippers, his debut this season against the Houston Rockets looks very promising.