Paul George

[Yogatti]

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Can't wait to see him play with Kawhi!

[Quake Griffin]

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Any shoulder experts know why he can work out the way he works out but he can't play for 10 games?

[esqtvd]

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Any shoulder experts know why he can work out the way he works out but he can't play for 10 games?

PG had surgery for a torn labrum around June 10, which will make about 20 weeks when he plays again, and that matches up pretty well with this timetable. I suppose it's still a little tight and still vulnerable to re-injury for another month so they're keeping him away from contact. No need to push.

The recovery time can be separated into three stages. The first is acute pain stage (difficulty when sleeping), which usually lasts 4-6 weeks. This time usually involves a formal physical therapy process.

The second stage is continued strengthening and stretching with slight discomfort (minimal to no pain). During this stage the patient/client will report “I still feel like I am going to dislocate and have this funny crackling in my shoulder”. This stage can range from 12-16 weeks (therapy to post rehab transitional stage). Don’t be alarmed. The labrum repair tightened the joint and likely causing minor pressure on the repaired tissues that are unfamiliar. This feeling will recede over time.

The final stage is the transition to your “new normal” lifestyle and exercise. This stage varies and could be 6-12 weeks of feeling “normal again”. Realistically, many patients are looking at 9 months to 1 year of total recovery time before they feel “normal” again.

https://www.physiodc.com/managing-expectations-when-recovering-from-a-labral-repair/

[QRich3]

I've no idea about how shoulders work or anything of the sort, but I'm glad they aren't rushing it at all. Him being 100% healthy and without discomfort in May is way more important than getting 1st or 4th seed imo. I don't care if we're under .500 in December and in the lower spots of the playoff fight, just make sure you don't force the issue with anyone.

[SK21209]

I've no idea about how shoulders work or anything of the sort, but I'm glad they aren't rushing it at all. Him being 100% healthy and without discomfort in May is way more important than getting 1st or 4th seed imo. I don't care if we're under .500 in December and in the lower spots of the playoff fight, just make sure you don't force the issue with anyone.

Obviously health is important but I see a lot of people (mostly on the GB, not here) dismissing seeding and I think that's completely off-base. Here's the seeding of the last 10 Finals participants:

2019: 1 vs. 2
2018: 2 vs 4 (LeBron in an even more **** East than usual)
2017: 1 vs. 2
2016: 1 vs. 1
2015: 1 vs. 2
2014: 1 vs. 2
2013: 2 vs. 1
2012: 2 vs 1
2011: 3 vs. 1
2010: 1 vs. 4 (Big 3 Celtics)

So basically, if you don't have a Top 2 seed in the West you're pretty much not getting to the Finals. Dallas made it as the 4 seed in 2006 but had the 2nd best record in the conference. Seeding is pretty damn important.

[og15]

I've no idea about how shoulders work or anything of the sort, but I'm glad they aren't rushing it at all. Him being 100% healthy and without discomfort in May is way more important than getting 1st or 4th seed imo. I don't care if we're under .500 in December and in the lower spots of the playoff fight, just make sure you don't force the issue with anyone.

Obviously health is important but I see a lot of people (mostly on the GB, not here) dismissing seeding and I think that's completely off-base. Here's the seeding of the last 10 Finals participants:

2019: 1 vs. 2
2018: 2 vs 4 (LeBron in an even more **** East than usual)
2017: 1 vs. 2
2016: 1 vs. 1
2015: 1 vs. 2
2014: 1 vs. 2
2013: 2 vs. 1
2012: 2 vs 1
2011: 3 vs. 1
2010: 1 vs. 4 (Big 3 Celtics)

So basically, if you don't have a Top 2 seed in the West you're pretty much not getting to the Finals. Dallas made it as the 4 seed in 2006 but had the 2nd best record in the conference. Seeding is pretty damn important.

Agreed seeding matters, I mentioned this quite a few times in the past regarding the previous Clippers teams where people would say “it’s just health that matters”. Well, seeding can affect health, shorter and easier first round series means more rest time, means fewer chances to get injured, means less fatigue. Ask the 2015 team how playing SA in the first round worked out for them. Now, there is a caveat, generally you don’t have teams as talented as this Clippers team not getting a top 3 seed, so we don’t have many examples of a team like that being a 4th or 5th seed without weird division winner rules like we had in the past.

All that said, other teams will also have missed games here and there by this or that player, so projections based on assuming the Clippers have guys miss games and everyone else is healthy are not very accurate. I’ll also say this. Houston won 65 games with Paul playing 58 games. They were 50-8 (.862) with Paul and 15-9 (.625) without him, there were other missed games by Harden, Ariza and Gordon in there too.

If the Clippers really are that good, unless significant injury happens, the team should be winning at about a 75% pace when full healthy (that’s 62 wins), this means that even taking into account load management and minor injuries, they should be at minimum winning 55-57 games which should get them a 1-3 seed.

[SK21209]

I've no idea about how shoulders work or anything of the sort, but I'm glad they aren't rushing it at all. Him being 100% healthy and without discomfort in May is way more important than getting 1st or 4th seed imo. I don't care if we're under .500 in December and in the lower spots of the playoff fight, just make sure you don't force the issue with anyone.

Obviously health is important but I see a lot of people (mostly on the GB, not here) dismissing seeding and I think that's completely off-base. Here's the seeding of the last 10 Finals participants:

2019: 1 vs. 2
2018: 2 vs 4 (LeBron in an even more **** East than usual)
2017: 1 vs. 2
2016: 1 vs. 1
2015: 1 vs. 2
2014: 1 vs. 2
2013: 2 vs. 1
2012: 2 vs 1
2011: 3 vs. 1
2010: 1 vs. 4 (Big 3 Celtics)

So basically, if you don't have a Top 2 seed in the West you're pretty much not getting to the Finals. Dallas made it as the 4 seed in 2006 but had the 2nd best record in the conference. Seeding is pretty damn important.

Agreed seeding matters, I mentioned this quite a few times in the past regarding the previous Clippers teams where people would say “it’s just health that matters”. Well, seeding can affect health, shorter and easier first round series means more rest time, means fewer chances to get injured, means less fatigue. Ask the 2015 team how playing SA in the first round worked out for them. Now, there is a caveat, generally you don’t have teams as talented as this Clippers team not getting a top 3 seed, so we don’t have many examples of a team like that being a 4th or 5th seed without weird division winner rules like we had in the past.

All that said, other teams will also have missed games here and there by this or that player, so projections based on assuming the Clippers have guys miss games and everyone else is healthy are not very accurate. I’ll also say this. Houston won 65 games with Paul playing 58 games. They were 50-8 (.862) with Paul and 15-9 (.625) without him, there were other missed games by Harden, Ariza and Gordon in there too.

If the Clippers really are that good, unless significant injury happens, the team should be winning at about a 75% pace when full healthy (that’s 62 wins), this means that even taking into account load management and minor injuries, they should be at minimum winning 55-57 games which should get them a 1-3 seed.

Agreed 100%; I expect the Clippers to be 7-3 in the first 10 if PG does in fact come back at Houston on Nov. 13th. Frankly, I want them to push for the #1 as I think finishing series early will be huge for preserving Kawhi throughout the playoffs.

[nickhx2]

i want them to do it because being #1 is better than being #2

[Young Sterling]

Here's why we're probably going to be the #1 in the West (not to jinx it, but just some facts).

Clippers were literally the #1 seed for like the first quarter of last season. That was with Avery Bradley starting too. Then they played with the best record once Big Zu and Landry were added to the Doc School of Magic. The only reason last season we didn't finish top 3 is because of that weird stretch where Lou was injured and we lost 9/10 games, and we didn't fall out of Playoffs because of how high we were ranked. This was done with a team with no "superstars" + Avery Bradley (it was so hard to watch, and he looks the exact same in preseason..), Gortat, etc.

I hear less mentioning about the facts above, yet always hear laker fans telling everyone not to forget that one week they were the 4th seed when Lebron and Lonzo were healthy...

We were deep last year, and I said it from the get go. This year is some next level MJ and Bulls type of depth.

[nickhx2]

i get that but i expect the team to be pretty liberal with rest days, end on end.

it's just the thing to do with playoff aspirations so high.

[esqtvd]

Obviously health is important but I see a lot of people (mostly on the GB, not here) dismissing seeding and I think that's completely off-base. Here's the seeding of the last 10 Finals participants:

2019: 1 vs. 2
2018: 2 vs 4 (LeBron in an even more **** East than usual)
2017: 1 vs. 2
2016: 1 vs. 1
2015: 1 vs. 2
2014: 1 vs. 2
2013: 2 vs. 1
2012: 2 vs 1
2011: 3 vs. 1
2010: 1 vs. 4 (Big 3 Celtics)

So basically, if you don't have a Top 2 seed in the West you're pretty much not getting to the Finals. Dallas made it as the 4 seed in 2006 but had the 2nd best record in the conference. Seeding is pretty damn important.

Agreed seeding matters, I mentioned this quite a few times in the past regarding the previous Clippers teams where people would say “it’s just health that matters”. Well, seeding can affect health, shorter and easier first round series means more rest time, means fewer chances to get injured, means less fatigue. Ask the 2015 team how playing SA in the first round worked out for them. Now, there is a caveat, generally you don’t have teams as talented as this Clippers team not getting a top 3 seed, so we don’t have many examples of a team like that being a 4th or 5th seed without weird division winner rules like we had in the past.

All that said, other teams will also have missed games here and there by this or that player, so projections based on assuming the Clippers have guys miss games and everyone else is healthy are not very accurate. I’ll also say this. Houston won 65 games with Paul playing 58 games. They were 50-8 (.862) with Paul and 15-9 (.625) without him, there were other missed games by Harden, Ariza and Gordon in there too.

If the Clippers really are that good, unless significant injury happens, the team should be winning at about a 75% pace when full healthy (that’s 62 wins), this means that even taking into account load management and minor injuries, they should be at minimum winning 55-57 games which should get them a 1-3 seed.

Agreed 100%; I expect the Clippers to be 7-3 in the first 10 if PG does in fact come back at Houston on Nov. 13th. Frankly, I want them to push for the #1 as I think finishing series early will be huge for preserving Kawhi throughout the playoffs.

Correlation is not cause, which is why QRich isn't exactly wrong. But the fact is, even with liberal "load management," a championship team should be good enough to finish with a top seed, preferably 1 or 2, and it doesn't seem to make much difference which. [It is a very good point that top seeds get a much easier route through the early rounds. The ultimate difference between 1 and 2 is only one home game, but the #4 has to play the #5 in the first round, no cakewalk, and if they get through that they're still on the road in every series thereafter.]

[Quake Griffin]

It's like getting a new Ferrari and then learning it has to sit in your garage for a couple weeks before you can drive it.

If he aint healthy, he aint healthy and I knew this was what it was when we got him.
I was just confused because it looks like he's getting up shots and participating in our offseason.

And yes, seeding matters.
It never mattered to me during the Lob City era...ya know, when I never thought we were getting the 1 seed any way.
Funny how that works.

[esqtvd]

It's like getting a new Ferrari and then learning it has to sit in your garage for a couple weeks before you can drive it.

If he aint healthy, he aint healthy and I knew this was what it was when we got him.
I was just confused because it looks like he's getting up shots and participating in our offseason.

That's cool. It was a very good question so I looked it up and posted it. I suppose that until it gets stretched out, PG's surgery has an elevated chance of re-injury if it gets wrenched by contact. Plus PG won't be near game shape until he scrimmages for a week or two in November WITH contact, and until then there's an elevated risk he'll hurt something else.

PG can still play 60-70 games. We're good.

And yes, seeding matters.
It never mattered to me during the Lob City era...ya know, when I never thought we were getting the 1 seed any way.
Funny how that works.

Yeah, as for seeding during the Lob City era, going for it was never questioned, was it? But I think it was also because the bench was such crap that if the starters didn't play 30-35 minutes a night, we weren't going to even win 50. "Load management" was not an option.

[QRich3]

Yeah of course seeding matters, but how much it matters is not uniform year to year. This year, teams 1-6 are at a very similar level, there is no Warriors juggernaut that you want to avoid, you're not risking playing a 6+ SRS team in round 1, like it happened to us in 2015 because of seeding (yeah, I still think the Rockets game 6 collapse was in great part due to last RS night seeding shenanigans).

So, whether you end up 1st or 6th, you're probably still gonna play teams of a similar level in rounds 2-3. Now, of course homecourt is important, but not as much as full health in the postseason.

Even when he comes back from the shoulder, George is gonna get a lot of rest during the season, as will Kawhi even though he's not officially on a health management plan. And most likely, so will Beverley and Lou. They've already been hinting at Mann starting a bunch of games when Pat rests, so I'm sure that's the plan.

This team is deep enough to keep itself in the 50-win range even when there's a starter resting pretty much every night anyway, and so far everything points to that being the case.

[TheNewEra]

Can’t wait always a huge pg fan

[madmaxmedia]

I think his shoulder is 'healthy' and capable of physical work and exertion, but there's a big difference between regular workouts and even practice, vs. playing in regular season games.

The intensity level, having to make sudden movements or changes of directions responding to what's going on around you, you really have to be extra sure there's no significant chance of re-injury. In practice you can always pull up at any time or decide not to do something. But in a game that's normally not where your head is at, you're focused on the game.

[TheNewEra]

Paul just did some light 3 on 3

[esqtvd]

Paul just did some light 3 on 3

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it also looks like he's scrimmaging

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[Quake Griffin]

Are we still on the 10 game timeline?

Game 11 would be the 13th at Houston.

If so.....9 more sleeps until George is back and we get to see what we look like with both of them out there.

[esqtvd]

Are we still on the 10 game timeline?

Game 11 would be the 13th at Houston.

If so.....9 more sleeps until George is back and we get to see what we look like with both of them out there.

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