Oft-hurt All-Star Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has savored a superlative common period in 2023-24, hunting like his commonly experienced two-way self for a 51-win Clippers squad that has emerged as the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed.
In taking part in 68 game titles this year, the two-time Finals MVP, 32, appeared in additional video games than he has in any year due to the fact 2016-17. The 6-foot-7 San Diego State product averaged 23.7 factors on .525/.417/.885 taking pictures splits, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and .9 blocks a night time on a starry Clippers club.
What is all the more extraordinary is that Leonard has emerged as evidently the most effective player on a group that also contains two fellow long term Corridor of Famers nonetheless plying their wares at an All-Star-caliber amount, Paul George (who manufactured this year’s All-Star workforce, also) and James Harden (who did not fairly qualify). A further potential Hall of Famer, combo guard Russell Westbrook, is in a distinctive stage of his career as a vital reserve.
Regretably, it seems that Leonard’s health luck could be managing out with the playoffs now upon us, as it usually has in new a long time. Leonard hasn’t performed in the final two weeks owing to a mysterious knee injuries. Now, for every Chris Broussard of Fox Sporting activities 1, it seems the six-time All-Star is dealing with a thing that could be a longer-phrase challenge.
“If Kawhi Leonard is healthy, then I’ve got a great deal of self confidence,” Broussard promises. “I just was in get in touch with with someone in the know. They claimed the Clippers are concerned. They explained there’s a good deal of swelling in the knee. He hasn’t practiced.”
Getty Images/Katelyn Mulcahy
In 2021, as Broussard goes on to observe in the FS1 segment, Leonard was enjoying like gangbusters for Los Angeles, when he incurred a mysterious knee injury late into the team’s semifinal sequence versus the Utah Jazz. The Clippers would go on to make the conference finals towards the Phoenix Suns.
It afterwards came out that Leonard experienced torn his ACL and would overlook the relaxation of the playoffs (the Clippers, understandably, did not progress previous the conference finals with out him). Leonard skipped the entirety of the 2022 time and postseason as he recuperated. Previous yr, Leonard tore his meniscus just after enjoying just two online games in opposition to the Suns in a 4-5 series matchup in the course of the initially round of the playoffs.
Now, Los Angeles as a No. 4 seed is established to encounter the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks in what could be a initially spherical playoff duel for the ages. But it will likely have to have Leonard balanced to truly compete for a deep run.
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