Clippers' Blake Griffin: Progressing in recovery, set to travel with team

Griffin (knee) continues to progress in his recovery from an arthroscopic knee procedure, though he remains without a firm return date, the OC Register reports.

Analysis:

Coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that Griffin is starting to regain his movement and athleticism in recent non-contact workouts. "He looks like he's explosive again," Rivers said. "Early in the year, he was facing up and blowing by guys. You could tell once his knee started getting sore, he wasn't doing it as much anymore. It was clear." Griffin, who averaged 21.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists before undergoing the procedure on Dec. 20, is without a target return date, but the team initially handed down a timetable of 4-to-6 weeks. Tuesday marks the start of that timetable, and as of now it appears Griffin will be back on the court sooner, rather than later. It's highly unlikley that Griffin will play Thursday against the Timberwolves, but the plan is for him to travel with the team on its upcoming three-game road swing, which begins Saturday in Denver. The Clippers then head to Atlanta on Monday and Philadelphia on Tuesady before returning home in advance of next Saturday's showdown with the Warriors in Oakland. While the mathup with Denver is probably the earliest, semi-realistic date that Griffin could be back on the floor, the Clippers won't take any chances, so a return sometime later in the road trip seems much more plausible.