What was originally reported during the broadcast as a "separated" shoulder has now been classified as a subluxation of his left shoulder:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...der-and-return
He looks like he is in serious pain in that photo and is grabbing his posterior left shoulder which is where the rotator cuff attaches.
http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.s...separated.html
A shoulder subluxation is more similar to what Drew Brees sustained in San Diego which of course changed the history of the New Orleans Saints when released from the Chargers and declined by the Dophins. Hopefully Eric Gordons injury is not as severe as Dwayne Wade's 2007 injury. (Who elected to play out the season before eventually having surgery and extensive rehab)
A shoulder separation is a tear of the Acromio-clavicular joint of the joint between the collar bone and shoulder blade and does not involve the shoulder joint itself. This is more like the injury Jimmy Graham has fought through this year. First degree tears while painful can be played through without long term consequences.
Shoulder subluxations, however, sometimes require surgery and rest and extensive therapy to avoid frozen shoulders and recurrent dislocations.
A shoulder subluxation can be a season ending injury especially if associated with labral or tendon tears.
http://www.orthop.washington.edu/?q=...slocation.html
Also apparently a shoulder subluxation can be as serious as a shoulder dislocation:
http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.s...separated.html
Don't expect the Pelicans team or medical staff to release any meaningful information about Eric's injury if their recent philosophy is adhered to even after he has an MRI. For example it was not until weeks after Ryan Anderson's surgery that I learned he had an extensive fusion of the cervical spine and not a simple disc surgery. Again, don't expect to get any information about Asik's back problem (which is causing radiating pain into his buttocks) even after he has an MRI (I suspect tomorrow).