Getty Images Paul George, small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are off to a great start of the season with a 6-3 record so far. They have competed in tough matchups and have remained close in tough games without their star player, Kawhi Leonard at times due to load management and their six-time All-Star small forward, Paul George.
George has been out since the start of the season due to surgeries on both of his shoulders. According to Clutch Points’ Tomer Azarly, George participated in his first 5-on-5 practice with the team on Saturday and could possibly make his season debut on Monday night.
Doc Rivers says Paul George participated fully in practice today and it’s a possibility he can return Monday vs. the Raptors. #Clippers
Paul George’s Injury
Getty Images6-time All-Star Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers
George was injured in February when he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but played through the pain and managed to average 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Per CBS Sports’ Oliver Maloney, Playoff P underwent surgery on both of his shoulders in the offseason. In June, it was reported by ESPN’s Royce Young that PG’s surgery was successful.
The Clippers acquired George via trade from the Thunder. This was an exciting time for L.A. Clippers fans who were now rooting for a team with one of the best duos in the league: George and Kawhi Leonard. Since the start of the season, the star forward’s return has been highly anticipated.
Per Mark Medina, NBA writer for USA Today, L.A. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said that Paul would miss at least the first 10 games of the season. That would mean PG could also possibly take the court in Wednesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets.
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
Paul George’s Injury Progress
As reported by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, George told ESPN, “I mean, I haven’t felt this good. My shoulders haven’t been this good in a long time. I shot the ball pretty well last season, so I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Doc Rivers also spoke about George’s recovery and where he was at in the process, per ESPN.
“He’s still doing just skeleton work. I think live is coming up soon. Which I can’t wait for. You can see he’s very eager. He tried to slip in the last couple of practices, he tried to sneak in one possession unsuccessfully. You can see he’s worked all this time. He wants to play. He’s eager. He’s close.”
On November 2nd, George was able to play in his first 3-3 practice, per Clippers reporter, Jovan Buha.
This past week, George has been caught on camera a few times shooting on the court before games.
Oh hi, @Yg_Trece!
Our #ClippersLive crew provides an update on the 6️⃣-time All-Star as he nears a return to action 🏀
Paul George sinks 9 straight threes 💦
George was able to take part in a full practice Saturday which shows major steps forward in his recovery. After practice, George couldn’t even miss a shot, which was was caught on camera as Tomer Azarly showed.
Here’s Paul George after practice, unable to miss a shot from beyond the arc. #Clippers
The six-time All-Star still has a hot hand and looks to have made a lot of positive progress. It seems like fans can be hopeful for a PG return this week. If the Clippers weren’t brutal enough competition for the rest of the league, having both Leonard and George will only add to the fun.