Clippers' Ty Lue: Paul George Won't Return from Knee Injury 'If He's Not Right'

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue made it clear Friday that the team will not rush All-Star forward Paul George back into the fold before he is fully recovered from his knee injury.

While speaking to the media, Lue suggested the Clippers don't want to risk further injury by bringing George back before he is ready:

At the same time, Lue told reporters he was glad to see George on the court to do some shooting this week, saying: "It's encouraging to see. Just seeing him be able to do some things and actually starting to feel better is good to see."

George suffered a sprained knee during the Clippers' March 21 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and missed L.A.'s final nine regular-season games.

The Clips reached the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and will face the Phoenix Suns in the first round, beginning with Game 1 on Sunday.

Law Murray of The Athletic reported that George is "targeting" a return in the second round of the playoffs should the Clippers get past the Suns.

While the Clippers have yet to make an announcement on when or if George could return during the playoffs, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that he will at least miss the start of the series against Phoenix, although he has made "tangible progress" in his recovery.

When healthy, the 32-year-old George is one of the best two-way players in the NBA, which is why he is an eight-time All-Star and four-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection over 13 NBA seasons.

Before injuring his knee, George was enjoying another highly productive campaign this season, averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.8 three-pointers made and 1.5 steals per game.

The former Indiana Pacers and Thunder star has spent the past four seasons with the Clippers, but durability has been an issue.

During his time in L.A., George has not appeared in more than 56 games in a single season, including playing in only 31 contests last season.

In four seasons before joining the Clippers, George played in at least 75 games each year, and he had played in fewer than 60 games just once in his first nine NBA seasons.

The Clippers' other star player, Kawhi Leonard, has also struggled to stay on the court. In his four seasons in Los Angeles, he has never reached the 60-game mark either. He missed all of last season with a torn ACL before bouncing back to appear in 52 games this season.

When fully healthy, the Clippers are among the most talented teams in the league and can hang with anyone, but they may not be able to truly compete with the Suns if they don't get George back.

Despite being the No. 4 seed in the West, FanDuel lists Phoenix as the Western Conference team with the best chance to win the NBA title at +480.

Kevin Durant is finally healthy after arriving in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, and with him, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton leading the way, the Suns will be incredibly difficult to eliminate for the Clippers or any other team.