Blake Griffin on back injury: ‘Everything is intact’
When it was revealed that Blake Griffin suffered a fracture back in the 2014 NBA Playoffs, many were at shocked at his ability to play through it in the playoffs without showing any signs of wear and tear. Two weeks since the injury revealing, Griffin has delivered an update, stating that everything in his back is intact and he remains physically able to do all things on the floor he used to be able to do.
"“It’s less than a hairline and my back is not fractured. Everything is still intact,” Griffin said. “I can still come out here and I can do my workouts and I can do everything I used to do. I just shouldn’t be playing and practicing everyday this early.”"
With a back injury–regardless of the type–it makes sense for Griffin to withdraw himself from the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Following a leap into superstardom, Griffin’s presence is vital in the Clippers chase to win a championship.
"“My whole thing is that I didn’t want to go into [Clippers training] camp and put myself in a worse position,” he said. “It’s not that my back is broken and I’m walking around with a broken back, or I’m in so much pain.“But if I start playing basically two months earlier than everybody else and then go through all of next season and the playoffs, then I’m probably going to put myself in a bad position. I couldn’t do that.”"
With Griffin healthy and able, Los Angeles is home to one of the top-3 teams in the NBA barring a surge from one of the two Eastern Conference favorites in Cleveland and Chicago. Continuity from last season, a franchise-best 57 wins for the Clippers, could carry into a NBA Finals appearance in June.
Last season, Griffin averaged a career high in points per game (24.1) and assists per game (3.9).