Clippers guard Maalik Wayns will miss 6 weeks with knee injury
By Brad Rowland
Most people wouldn’t refer to the loss of a potential third point guard as a “significant” injury, but the Los Angeles Clippers will reportedly be without one of their bench options for approximately 6 weeks.
Clippers guard @MaalikWayns2 is expected to be out six weeks after minor knee surgery, a source told Yahoo Sports.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) October 16, 2013
The report from Spears comes on the heels of reports that Wayns, who is battling for a roster spot on a non-guaranteed contract, tore his left meniscus during a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. At the time, it was unclear just how long Wayns would be absent, but this diagnosis is obviously devastating news for a player with no assurances for this season.
Currently, the Clippers have Chris Paul and Darren Collison as “pure” point guards ahead of Wayns, but the team also has flexibility in the form of Jamal Crawford, who has played some point guard at various stops during his career. There have been conflicting reports on the actual status of Wayns with regard to the opening night roster, but the 6-foot-1 point guard from Villanova doesn’t have a long leash.
Wayns has struggled to adjust to NBA life as a scoring point guard (hence his ghastly 1.8 PER during a stint in Philadelphia last season), but he’s a likeable guy by all accounts, and you never want to see this type of injury issue. Keep an eye on the Clippers in the coming days with regard to roster moves, but it doesn’t look great for Wayns.