“Don’t Think He’s Lost a Step”: Clippers Rookie Thinks Kawhi Leonard Is Still His Old Self Despite Injury Troubles

Prateek Singh | 27/12/2024
Kawhi Leonard looks on from the bench in street clothes during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at American Airlines Center.

There’s still no timeline available for Kawhi Leonard’s season debut. The 33-year-old was rumored to be back on the floor before Christmas but it seems like there’s going to be more delays. However, Kawhi has made massive progress over the last few weeks. While talking to reporters, Clippers rookie Jordan Miller declared that Kawhi looks very much like Kawhi in practice.

The 24-year-old revealed that he is amazed every time he sees the Klaw on the floor because despite being out for months, he has not lost his touch.

Miller said, “His ability to shoot the midrange whether you’re there or not. It doesn’t even bother him. And just his presence, you gotta respect his game.”

The rookie also stated that the progress shown by Kawhi is going to be really beneficial for the team. He added, “I think Kawhi has always been a great player, I don’t think he’s lost a step at all…Kawhi is Kawhi, that’s the best way I can put it.”

Kawhi is recovering from a right knee injury which was first detected when he was with the Team USA camp for the Paris Olympics. The two-time NBA Champion had to leave the camp because of it and was later declared to be out indefinitely from the beginning of the season.

Kawhi won’t be playing in the game against the Warriors and won’t join the team for the three-game road trip starting with New Orleans. The good news is that the forward has started doing five-on-five practice. Coach Tyronn Lue said, “He has to play some more five-on-five. So, we got to get all the days we got to get him in, keep stacking the days, and see how he fares after that.”

When the team goes away for three games, he will practice with the San Diego Clippers, the Clippers’ G League team. Coach Lue believes this will allow Kawhi to get the “right amount of reps,” and bring him closer to a comeback. So far, he is pleased with the progress his player has made and he is still being monitored closely.

Coach Lue said, “Making sure he’s doing everything so this doesn’t occur again so we can kind of monitor the fluid and see how it’s working. So far, it’s been really good and we just want to continue to keep progressing.” Without Kawhi, the Clippers have performed well so far in this season. They are the seventh-ranked team in the Western Conference with a 17-13 record.

Post Edited By: Satagni Sikder
Kawhi Leonard

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Prateek Singh

Prateek is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush. He has over 900 published articles under his name. Prateek merged his passion for writing and his love for the sport of basketball to make a career out of it. Other than basketball, he is also an ardent follower of the UFC and soccer. Apart from the world of sports, he has followed hip-hop religiously and often writes about the origins, evolution, and the biggest stars of the music genre.

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