Clippers’ Chris Douglas-Roberts says he couldn’t keep hiding injury

Chris Douglas-Roberts suffered an Achilles’ tendon injury during a workout over the summer. He had been playing anyway this season until, about a week ago, he decided he had to reveal his injury to the Clippers.

Before Monday’s game, while sitting by his locker, the small forward recalled when he decided to come forward last week.

“It felt pretty good at practice and I just made a regular move, and it was really painful, and I just had to take myself out of practice,” Douglas-Roberts said. “That night I was feeling it at 3 a.m., I couldn’t really sleep. So I just came in the next day like, you know, I can’t pretend like this isn’t painful anymore. Forget trying to tough it out, I just need to be healthy.”

Douglas-Roberts had an MRI that revealed he had a strained right Achilles’.

The small forward had been averaging two points and 1.8 rebounds in 11.3 minutes over four games. He has a career average of 7.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 20.2 minutes a game.

Douglas-Roberts said it was frustrating to have an injury so early in the season, especially since he’s playing for a new team. But he said he’s taking comfort in knowing that when he returns he’ll be healthy.

“I was missing those shots because they weren’t supposed to go in at that time,” Douglas-Roberts said. “I was hurt, I needed to get better.”

Douglas-Roberts is expected to miss one to two weeks with the injury. The Clippers are currently on a seven-game, 12-day road trip.

“I’m really trying to look at the positives in everything,” he said. “I think the positive in this is I knew I wasn’t right. The big thing is just getting healthy for the first time in a long time. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”