Garland's right toe is cleared, but his surgically repaired left toe remains sore, delaying his Clippers debut as they prioritize his long-term health.
The Los Angeles Clippers have yet to see Darius Garland suit up since acquiring him from the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the trade deadline, but it sounds like they are getting closer to seeing their new point guard on the court.
Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank spoke on Monday and shared some good news about Garland's recovery, though he also acknowledged that there is still work to do before the two-time All-Star can make his debut at the Intuit Dome.
Right Toe Has Recovered
Frank broke down the timeline of Garland's injury and where things currently stand during his comments on Monday, stating that the right great toe sprain Garland suffered back in January is no longer a concern.
"On the 14th against Philly suffered a sprain of the right [great] toe," Frank said. "His right toe is fine, it's basically recovered."
That is a positive sign for Garland, who has now missed over three weeks since going down in the third quarter of a January 14 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
He was initially given a seven-to-10 day reevaluation window after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 sprain, but the timeline stretched well beyond that and he has now missed 14 straight games heading into the All-Star break.
Left Toe Remains a Concern
While the right toe news is encouraging, Frank noted that Garland is still dealing with soreness in his surgically repaired left great toe, which has been a problem dating back to last season's playoffs.
Garland had surgery on the left toe over the summer and missed the first eight games of the season while recovering, then re-injured the same toe in November and missed another stretch of games.
Frank was clear that the organization will not rush the process. "We're gonna get it right and take as long as it takes," Frank said, showing the Clippers front office is focused on protecting Garland's long-term health over short-term gains.
What Garland Brings When Healthy
When he does return, the Clippers will be getting a proven playmaker who was averaging 18.0 points and 6.9 assists per game on 45.1 percent shooting from the field before going down with the injury.
Before the right toe sprain, Garland had been rounding into form after his slow start, putting up 20.1 points and 7.4 assists per game over his final 14 games with Cleveland while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 42.0 percent from three.
The Clippers sit at 25-27 on the season after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-96 on Sunday behind 41 points from Kawhi Leonard, who is averaging a career-high 28.0 points per game.
Los Angeles has been one of the hottest teams in the league since mid-December and currently holds a play-in spot in the Western Conference, so getting Garland healthy and into the lineup next to Leonard could be the boost this team needs down the stretch.
Head coach Tyronn Lue has already spoken about his excitement over working with Garland, comparing the situation to his early days coaching Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
The most likely scenario is that Garland makes his Clippers debut sometime after the All-Star break as the team continues to monitor both toes.
Whenever that day comes, Los Angeles will be eager to see what a healthy Garland can do alongside Leonard in the second half of the season.