Paul George last took the floor for the L.A. Clippers on Dec. 22, with news breaking on Christmas Day that the superstar wing would miss considerable time with a torn ligament in his elbow. In recent days, however, buzz has increased that George could be nearing a return to game action and, on Monday evening, the Clippers provided more optimism with an official injury update. L.A. hosts the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and, in advance of the game, George was upgraded to “questionable” on the injury report.
Paul George has been upgraded to QUESTIONABLE to play tomorrow against Utah.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) March 28, 2022
Beyond the notable upgrade in official distinction, Law Murray of The Athletic reports that George’s family will be in attendance, perhaps providing another positive inkling. George has missed 43 games and, in that sample, the Clippers are just 19-24. Given that Kawhi Leonard is also sidelined, L.A.’s performance has been quite respectable but, on the eve of the postseason, having George in the middle of the Clippers’ lineup could make a considerable difference.
In 26 games before sustaining the injury, George averaged 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, operating as the No. 1 shot creator for the Clippers. He is also a high-end defender and, because the Clippers have been able to hold the line in George’s absence, L.A. projects as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a multi-game cushion ahead of the Pelicans and Lakers to earn at least two cracks at playing their way into the playoffs.
There is no guarantee that George returns on Tuesday. Still, his uptick in work and this upgrade on paper likely signal an imminent return, and the Western Conference just got even deeper.