Blake Griffin close to returning from knee injury, and Clippers will need him -- soon

Schedule toughens for L.A. as star forward is almost healthy enough to play

The Clippers are close to getting their best (or at worst, second-best) player back, and that could mean big things for their season. Blake Griffin has begun working out without a brace or sleeve on his surgically repaired knee and doing drills.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin is out, but he went through a pretty extensive workout pregame w/ no brace/sleeve on his knee.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 14, 2017

Griffin had knee surgery last month, and the Clippers have made it clear he won't return until he's 100 percent. The Clippers have weathered the storm, going 7-6 and having won the past six without Griffin, but if they have real hopes of making a run at a top-three seed, they'll need Griffin to return to form.

The schedule is also starting to turn. The Clippers face the Warriors twice in a span of a week starting January 28, and they need to win at least one matchup with their "rival" this season. All in all they face the Warriors three times, the Spurs, the Celtics and Raptors in the month of February. They need Griffin 100 percent for the playoffs, but with teams like Memphis, Utah, and Oklahoma City far more competitive than expected this season, if they want to secure homecourt in the first round they'll need to finish strong, and to do so, they'll need Griffin.

Griffin is averaging 21.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season, shooting 48 percent from the field.