Empty the Bench

Gary Washburn of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that initial indications on the severity of Shaun Livingston’s knee injury suggest it could be career threatening. We posted the video of the injury earlier this week. It’s a difficult one to watch, especially now that we know all the damage that was taking place. It appears that Livingston’s body was simply not NBA ready, and it may never be. The extremely gifted point guard played at Richwoods High School and then went to Peoria Central High School in Illinois before he declared for the 2004 NBA Draft, where he was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers. Since then, he has managed to play in only 145 total games (30 in 2004-05, 61 in 2005-06 and 54 this season). While Livingston might return to the court, it’ll likely be at least two years before he does.

On an uncontested drive to the basket, Livingston’s left knee crumpled under his body in a grotesque direction, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and the lateral meniscus, in addition to a dislocation of the kneecap.

Clippers team doctor Tony Daly said the injury is career threatening, but because of Livingston’s age (21) he has a solid chance to return to the NBA. But it could take up to two years and neither Daly, the Clippers nor Livingston can say whether the gifted guard will return to be the player tabbed to be an eventual All-Star.