Blake Griffin Shoulder Injury

During the 3rd game of the NBA Summer League, the Clippers recent #1 pick, Blake Griffin, suffered a right shoulder injury. Even with the injury, Griffin was able to finish out the rest of the 5 game league averaging 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds.

Griffin was evaluated by team doctors and was diagnosed with a Right Shoulder Strain. Strains are usually an injury that is an easy fix, given the athlete is allowed enough time to rest. Here is a quck description:

Strains and Sprains
Although bones can sometimes be fractured with acute sports injuries, the most commonly injured structures are the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Tendons attach muscles to bones, and ligaments attach one bone to another.

An acute twisting or overextension of a joint can lead to tears of muscles and tendons, called “strains,” and tears of ligaments result in “sprains.” These tears range from mild to severe. In mild injuries, just a few fibers are torn or stretched. Severe injuries, where there is a tear through the full thickness of the structure, are most often considered unstable injuries and frequently require surgical intervention (www.acatoday.com).

As I type this I'm reading articles/blogs mentioning "Surgery," "Clippers Curse," "Injury Plagued Season," etc... If you don't remember, Griffin has quickly and efficiently overcome a previous knee injury, concussion, and also managed to not be phased by this wrestling maneuver performed by Ameer Ali in last years NCAA tournament.

The only concern I have with Griffin's injury is the pressure for him to return quickly. Let the man rest, get treatment, and recover for the appropriate 3-4 weeks. This should have no effect on his upcoming season, and I look forward to watching him have a successful season with the Clips!

*And No, I will never post a picture of Griffin playing against my beloved Syracuse Orange from this past years NCAA Tourney. Go Cuse!