Jamal Crawford was in the Clippers locker room before Sunday's game against the Pelicans, in good spirits as usual.
Still, it's tough to get a sense of when he'll be back in the Clippers lineup. Crawford has missed 10 games with a deep calf contusion.
Crawford had his right leg drained recently because of excessive internal bleeding, according to a team official.
Asked if the injury was worse than originally thought, Doc Rivers said: "Probably. I think (trainer) Jasen (Howell) was concerned pretty much right away. But I think even he's been caught off guard. Not off guard but probably thinks it's worse than what we thought."
The hope, according to a team official, is that Crawford will return at least a few games before the playoffs start. The Clippers' final regular season game at Phoenix is April 14. Crawford will not be on the team's upcoming roadtrip this week, with games at New York, Philadelphia and Boston. Six of the Clippers' next seven games are on the road.
"Positive energy usually leads to positive results..," Crawford tweeted on Saturday.
Crawford, who averages 16 points per game - is doing a lot of pool rehabilitation and circulation work. The limp he once had - which used to require a golf cart ride to the locker room at Staples Center - doesn't seem as evident as it was following the injury. He hasn't resumed any basketball activities yet.
.@CP3 dons whistle and smile for Special Olympians basketball scrimmage, via @jillpainter http://t.co/LjhENu5WoH pic.twitter.com/TYNDz96cmJ
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) March 22, 2015
"Jamal told me he's feeling better, but it just doesn't seem like he is," Rivers said. "Honestly, we don't know. There's no target date for Jamal (to return) for sure."
On Friday, Rivers said he was "concerned" about Crawford's status. Asked that day whether there was a chance Crawford could miss the postseason, Rivers said "there's a chance."
