Blake Griffin is shooting 45.1 percent this young season, a dramatic drop off from the 54.9 percent of last season. The result is he is scoring 16.3 points per game, down from 20.7 last season, and he is doing it far less efficiently.
After the Clippers loss to the Cavaliers we found out why — he is playing through a burst bursa sac in his right elbow. That’s his shooting arm. Dan Woike at the Orange County Register has the report.
Griffin said the problem happens nearly every year, though “never this bad.”
Before Monday’s game with Cleveland, Griffin showed discomfort on his face as he warmed up, missing his first few shots well short. Griffin shook his right elbow, which was revealed to be heavily taped, and kept shooting.
The bursa sac is a series of small pouches of fluid in the elbow that provides cushioning and lubrication in the joint (they are in the knee and hip as well). Usually there is swelling and pain, and fluid could need to be drained from the elbow, but no surgery is required.
He’s not going to miss time, but it is impacting his game.
It’s not just that he is shooting 4-for-19 beyond 10 feet (21.1 percent, down from a still unimpressive 29.3 percent last season) because he’s only shooting a little more from the outside. It’s also his finishing at the rim — last season he finished 73.7 percent of his chances in the restricted area, this season that is down to a mortal 65.4 percent.
The Clippers need Griffin to be a more efficient scorer, or they are going to lose more games to teams like the Cavaliers.