Clippers’ Blake Griffin says Jamal Crawford ‘can barely walk’

Jamal Crawford was dressed in workout attire and was shooting around on the court before Monday’s practice for the first time that Clippers Coach Doc Rivers could remember since the sharp-shooter suffered a calf injury in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 9.

Rivers, however, was quick to caution that doesn’t mean much.

“The fact that [Clippers’ trainer Jasen Powell] didn’t even mention it tells me he didn’t think it was a big deal that he was there,” Rivers said. “Usually when a guy is out on the floor, the trainer runs up to your office and says, ‘Hey, Jamal is out, that’s good.’ They didn’t say a word about it, so I’m not reading into it.”

Crawford has missed 10 games since sustaining a deep right calf bruise. He had to get it drained once in the last 10 days, and there’s no timeline for his return.

Before Monday’s practice, Crawford shot around from the free-throw line as Nate Robinson’s son rebounded for him. Crawford, however, did not participate in practice.

“You can’t rush him,” Blake Griffin said, “he can barely walk.”

The reigning sixth man of the year is the third-leading scorer on the Clippers, averaging 16.4 points and 2.5 rebounds a game. The Clippers have only 11 games remaining in the regular season and are in fifth place in the Western Conference, with a record of 46-25.

“I know we need him, so I’m concerned in that, but I don’t lose sleep over it,” Rivers said. “I have faith that he’ll be back. But I have concern he might not be, and that’s not a good thought.”

The good news, however, is that when Crawford’s condition does improve, his teammates don’t anticipate it will take him much time to get back into the flow.

“He’s not one of those guys that I’m really worried about as far as rhythm,” Griffin said. “He always has rhythm. He could walk into a gym and play barefoot and have that feel.”

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