Los Angeles Clippers power forward Brice Johnson suffered a herniated disc in his back on Saturday, and it’s unclear when he’ll return to the court. 

Continue for updates.

Johnson Out Indefinitely

Saturday, Oct. 8

Brad Turner of Clippers.com reported Johnson suffered a herniated disk, and noted the team didn’t have a timeframe for his return. Turner also noted the team was hoping the forward could avoid surgery via rehab. 

Johnson Hoping to Emerge as Promising Rookie Forward 

Johnson established himself as one of the NCAA’s most dominant forces during his senior season at North Carolina, averaging 17.0 points and 10.4 rebounds while leading all ACC players in rebounding. 

After posting an ACC-best 7.6 win shares during the 2015-16 season, per Sports-Reference.com, Johnson was selected by the Clippers with the 25th pick in June’s draft. 

“We’re happy he was there,” Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said, per the Los Angeles Times‘ Broderick Turner. “I don’t know if we were surprised or not. That was a guy we liked from the very beginning. We like the fact that we believe he has a chance to help right away. But we all feel like he has a high ceiling and he can get a lot better.”

If the bouncy first-year forward misses time, Rivers should continue to deploy Brandon Bass as Blake Griffin‘s primary backup at the 4, with Marreese Speights factoring in as a reserve who’s capable of playing both frontcourt spots.

Source: Extra Juice