Rui Hachimura Upgraded to Probable, Giving the Clippers' Medical Staff a Rare Night Off
Underdog NBA reported: 'Rui Hachimura (quad) upgraded to probable Friday.'
Death, taxes, and Rui Hachimura appearing on an NBA injury report. But in a rare plot twist, Underdog NBA reported Friday that the forward has actually been upgraded to probable after dealing with a sore left quad.
For a guy whose medical file reads like a CVS receipt, "probable" is basically a clean bill of health. He picked up the quad issue on Tuesday, but it looks like he is ready to lace them up and actually earn his paycheck this weekend.
The desperately need him in the rotation. They handed him a two-year deal in free agency this past July, banking on the idea that he could be a reliable frontcourt piece. When he is upright, he is giving them a steady 10.3 points and six boards a night.
The problem is keeping him upright. The man has racked up 25 different injuries and missed over 200 days of action in his career. Betting on his player props is less about analyzing the defensive matchup and more about guessing if his calf, knee, or nose will survive the pregame layup line.
If you are looking at the board for Friday night, his return shifts the rotation minutes and changes the math on the ' team totals. Just make sure you wait for the final starting lineups before locking anything in, because a "probable" tag in the modern NBA is essentially just a polite suggestion.
Assuming his quad holds up, expect Rui to slide right back into his usual role. The need his size and scoring punch to survive the grind, provided he can actually stay out of the trainer's room for a few consecutive weeks.