Blake Griffin would love to know when he'll be able to play his first game for the Los Angeles Clippers. To set a date, circle it on his calendar and call up all his friends and invite them to the game, maybe even tweet it.
That's not possible just yet.
"I'll be back when I'll be back. My doctor doesn't even know yet," Griffin said on Wednesday, when asked about a report saying the team was targeting Jan. 20 as a possible debut for the No. 1 overall pick, who has been recovering from a stress fracture in his knee since the preseason.
"I don't even have an appointment scheduled yet. I feel good, it's just a matter of getting cleared."
Here's the latest on what Griffin can and can't do:
He can: run on a treadmill, shoot 3-pointers, do agility drills on the court and lift weights.
He can't: participate in scrimmages or full-court baskeball drills.
"I have no idea where that Jan. 20 date came from. I don't think it's an accurate date at all," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "But he's progressing. He's on the court. He's shooting the ball. He's on the treadmill with full body weight. He's shooting, running around, controlled stuff right now.
"We don't need to set dates. The first day he's ready to play, that's when we want him."
Ramona Shelburne is a writer and columnist for ESPNLosAngeles.com.
