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For Griffin, the physical component of the rehab wasn't the hard part. It was the isolation that accompanied the daily grind. While teammates were practicing and running drills, Griffin was confined to the treatment room or away visiting a specialist. Griffin was still a presence at the Clippers' training facility Playa Vista, but a more peripheral one than he wanted to be. When word came down in January that despite his diligence he'd miss the remainder of the season, Griffin was crushed.

"I was talking to Coach [Vinny] Del Negro, and the first thing he said was, 'I don't look at you as a rookie. You've gone through this,'" Griffin said. "That's the mindset I have. I'm not going into this like it's my first year. But at the same time, I have to prove to everyone I can play."

That's the challenge ahead for Griffin: He has all the responsibilities and expectations that come with being a veteran, without any of the professional on-court experience. Last season was supposed to be the consummation of his young lifetime of work, but it spiraled into an exercise of managing frustration. This season, Griffin arrives as a mystery guest. Some of those eager to see him play, particularly in Clipper Nación, have visions of Amare Stoudemire with rebounding and defense. Others might be rubberneckers, skeptics who see Sam Bowie and Greg Oden under the cloud of the Clippers' history.

But the person most eager to see Blake Griffin suit up and play NBA basketball?

That would be Blake Griffin.

"There's been so much more fuel added to my fire," Griffin said. "I'm even more excited than last year because things change when something is taken away from you."

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN True Hoop