Clippers' Crawford 'nowhere near' return; could miss rest of season

The disparity between the Los Angeles Clippers' strong starting lineup and their woefully thin reserve unit was already a cause for concern with less than a month remaining in the regular season.

Getting Jamal Crawford back from a strained right calf would help, but head coach Doc Rivers admitted Friday that the reigning Sixth Man of the Year may not return at all this season.

Crawford has missed the team's last nine games, and Rivers said before Friday's victory over the Washington Wizards that he's concerned about L.A.'s bench scorer.

"There's a chance," Rivers said when asked about the possibility that Crawford misses the remainder of the season. "I don't know right now because he's improved, but not enough, I can tell you that," he said of Crawford's condition.

"He's nowhere near, in my opinion, playing. So we just have to hope he gets better."

Crawford has averaged 16.4 points, 2.5 assists and two rebounds on an unimpressive 40 percent shooting and 33 percent three-point shooting, but his ability to draw fouls and convert at the free throw line, in addition to his capable ball handling and low turnover rate, are essential to the Clippers' bench.

Without Crawford, the Clippers have had to rely more heavily on guards Austin Rivers, Nate Robinson and Dahntay Jones off the bench - unenviable options for a team with championship aspirations.

The Clippers' reserves have been outscored by 1.4 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com, making them the 18th-ranked bench in the Association.