Clippers’ Blake Griffin gets ready for his first preseason game
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Blake Griffin‘s long basketball torture -- having to sit out of scrimmages because of an injured left knee -- finally ended today.
The Clippers’ rookie had been one tremendously frustrated power forward since he hurt the knee a few days before training camp opened late last month. Limitations were lifted today at practice and he is scheduled to appear in his first preseason game, on Friday, at Staples Center against Portland.
‘It felt good, man,’ Griffin said. ‘Especially the last three days I’ve been able to go out there and run up and down but not do any five-on-five or anything like that. It was great.’
His teammates and the coaching staff noticed his increasing agitation at having to observe.
‘It was tough to sit out, especially not having even played a single game,’ he said.
The rust will take some time to lift. Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy thought that Griffin would play 15 to 24 minutes against Portland.
Griffin was pleased with today’s scrimmage.
‘I felt good. I mean, toward the end I had a few turnovers, but early on, I was taking shots,’ he said. ‘My biggest thing is I covered all my defensive assignments, especially at the right times. So that’s the thing I need to do right now. The shots and the other stuff will come later. Right now, I just have to rebound and protect the basket.’
In other Clipper news, the team waived free agent forward Taj Gray. Gray had been injured almost all of training camp. That move brings the roster down to 17 players.
-- Lisa Dillman
