All-Star break comes at perfect time for Paul George and his injured hamstring

Clippers star Paul George re-aggravated his previous left hamstring strain and faces an unknown recovery time heading into the All-Star break.

Hamstrings can be fickle.

Los Angeles Clippers’ star forward Paul George re-aggravated the left hamstring strain he suffered earlier this season during the second quarter of a 141-133 double-overtime loss to the Boston Celtics Thursday night. George did not return after leaving the game due to his injury and, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, was seen leaving the stadium with a noticeable limp.

George missed 10 games during the month of January with his original hamstring strain and, as of this writing, it is unclear how severe his flare-up is. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers admits he’s concerned.

“I’m a little concerned about that one because that’s the second time now, maybe third,” Rivers said, via ESPN. “Listen, I don’t know what to do, but I know rest you have to do and we’ll see.”

Luckily for George and the Clippers, the six-time All-Star will have the next nine days to rest and recover as the NBA takes its annual All-Star weekend hiatus.

The hamstring is comprised of three muscles on the backside of the thigh: the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris. The two semi-muscles overlay each other on the inner, posterior thigh whereas the two portions of the biceps femoris run along the outer, posterior thigh.

The hamstring muscle group is the main flexor of the knee and provides synergy to the gluteus maximus during extension of the hip; these two functions make the hamstring muscle group an important force generative structure during powerful activities such as running and jumping. The amount of force placed through the hamstring during athletic activity combined with the muscle group’s role in decelerating the upward rise of the leg during running places the muscles at high risk for injury.

The hamstring is most susceptible to injury when the muscle group is transitioning from an eccentric to concentric contraction; an eccentric contraction occurs when the muscle is lengthening, whereas a concentric contraction occurs when the muscle is shortening. The prime example of this is when the leg transitions from being in an extended position to the foot planting on the ground during running.

Hamstring strains are notorious for their susceptibility for re-injury as the muscle group is constantly being activated during athletic activity as well as the fact the collagen that comprises the damaged muscle fibers is weaker upon recovery. Recovery time is ultimately dependent on the extent of muscle tissue damage.

Grade 1 strains usually sideline an athlete for a couple of weeks, whereas grade 2 and 3 injuries often cause a significant amount of missed time. Based on the wording of early reporting, it appears as though George’s injury is likely a grade 1 strain, however, this can only be confirmed with the use of MRI. Regardless of the extent of the injury, the main focus during rehabilitation is on re-developing strength in the injured muscle. This is done in a number of ways including single-leg strengthening exercises as well as eccentric exercises, like Nordic hamstring curls.

George is currently in the middle of his first season with the Clippers following an off-season trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite his high-level of play, George failed to make an All-Star team for the first time since the 2014-15 season; George appeared in a mere six games that season after he suffered a compound fracture in his lower leg. George is currently averaging 21.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game on 42.6/39.4/89.9 shooting splits.