Youth should help Livingston

Tony Daly, the Clippers physician who had used an eight- to 12-month time frame predicting Shaun Livingston’s return from a knee injury, said he hopes it can be more like six to eight months, while conceding, “It’s an inexact science.”

“His age is in his favor, 21,” Daly said before Wednesday’s game with Seattle. “The fact that I’ve seen him work hard through the other injuries he’s had -- I’ve seen him work.”

Livingston tore three ligaments and cartilage in his left knee and also dislocated it when he landed awkwardly after a missed layup Monday against Charlotte.

Calling it the first such injury he’s seen in 24 years as team physician, Daly is seeking second opinions.

“Most of the people I’ve talked to said fix everything at once,” he said.

The Clippers are hoping that the recovery by Buffalo Bills running back Willis McGahee can serve as a model.

McGahee, who injured three knee ligaments in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, gained more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons and 990 last season after sitting out his rookie year.

“One good news for Livingston, he’s not the first one jumping out of a plane with a parachute,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “There have been people there before him, the kid McGahee comes to mind. He has come back and it’s a much more grueling sport than Shaun’s.

“He came back and had a great year running the football and he had guys coming at him full speed and taking pops at him.”

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Meet the new point guard, same as the old point guard.

Sam Cassell, 37, went back into the starting lineup Wednesday, having averaged 27 minutes this season with the prospect of getting a lot more.

“I’m fine,” said Cassell before the game. “If I break down, I break down, but I’m going to give it my all out there, try to make this team get back to where it was last year....

“It all depends on how you look at it. Some nights I’d rather play more. I think Mike was making the adjustment of trying to save me so I’d be fresh for the playoffs. But we’ve got to get there before we can keep me fresh.”

Cassell played 33 minutes Wednesday.

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Seattle Coach Bob Hill on Livingston: “I thought he was a really good young player. Not that he’s done but he’s a talented kid. I hated to see him come in.

“It’s not fair. It’s got to set the Clippers back. He was obviously the point guard of the future.”

mark.heisler@latimes.com