Nearly 16 months have passed since Clippers guard Shaun Livingston suffered a devastating injury to his left knee.
Despite what was announced as successful surgery, more than 15 months ago, and extensive rehabilitation, Livingston still is not cleared for any basketball-related contact.
With the June 30th date looming when the Clippers have to tender Livingston at least a one-year, $5.8 million contract offer, the distinct possibility exists that a decision might have to be made before Livingston is seen in at minimum, a one-on-one game.
Livingston was injured Feb. 26, 2007, when he landed awkwardly, while sailing in for a lay-up, against the Charlotte Bobcats. He tore all the major ligaments in his knee, along with suffering a dislocated knee cap and cartilage damage.
It was, according to Clippers team physician Tony Daly, the worse knee injury that he had encountered in 30 years of treating athletes.
The 22-year old Livingston, has been undergoing regular therapy, getting medical examinations and updates from James Andrews, the Alabama-based physician that performed the surgery, and performing rehabilitation exercises, under the direction of Clippers trainer Jasen Powell and Clippers strength and conditioning coach Rich Williams.
However, during the 2007-2008 season, which Livingston missed entirely, his comeback was stunted by knee tendinitis and slower-than-hoped strength renewal in his left leg.
Reportedly, Livingston has been doing more explosive work lately but Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy and vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor both said Tuesday that as of yet, Livingston has not done anything besides skills work.
When asked where the Clippers were in terms of making a decision on Livingston, Dunleavy said, “That’s not a decision we have to make for a couple of weeks. It depends on what we hear from the medical staff and where he’s at the time the decision has to be made.”
Baylor said, “He’s been working out. The question is, when can he have contact? He looks fine, walking. But we’ll have to wait and see. We still have time.”
But when asked several times if a decision might have to be made, without seeing whether Livingston can actually play, Baylor said, “We’d definitely have to make a decision.”
Asked the same question, Dunleavy said, “It’s possible.”
In regards to Clipper mainstays Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, Dunleavy said that he fully expected both to be back in Clipper uniforms for the 2008-2009 season. This despite the fact that both players can opt out of the final year of their respective contracts this summer.
Brand is due to be paid $16,440,000 next season while Maggette is on the books for $7 million. Brand still has not said whether he will opt out or not, although there have been rumblings that he strongly is considering not only opting out but signing with another team.
Maggette intends to opt out but has stated that his preference is to sign a new multi-year contract with the Clippers, who can offer him more money than any other team.
