The Clippers’ latest injury report lists Kawhi Leonard to be ‘out’ ahead of the LA team’s season finale against the Houston Rockets. The 2x Finals MVP has already missed seven straight games and fans are concerned about his availability for the playoffs. During the broadcast of the LA side’s 108-109 loss against the Utah Jazz, Clippers President Lawrence Frank disclosed that their premier scorer is dealing with inflammation in his knees.
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Thus, the ensuing pain from the weary and bruised knee has kept him out of action since the start of April. Because of the multiple surgeries he has undergone in the past, his knee has felt the brunt of the workload throughout the 2023-24 season. Clippers president explained how the inflammation has restricted Kawhi Leonard’s availability. Mavs beat writer Tomer Azarly covered his comments.
“With Kawhi, he’s dealing with inflammation. It’s no secret he’s had a couple surgeries to that knee. It’s not uncommon over the course of it where you deal with inflammation. With inflammation, it limits your ability to make some natural basketball moves, so he’s working his tail off, the staff is working their tail off to try to help with the inflammation,” Lawrence Frank said during the broadcast.
Therefore, Kawhi Leonard will end the season without playing the last eight games. This must be frustrating for the perennial two-way threat who appeared in 68 games this season. It is his highest number since his 2016-17 season with the San Antonio Spurs, when he played in more than 70 affairs. Considering that the Clippers have locked a date with the red hot Dallas Mavericks squad in the first round, coach Tyronn Lue would want Kawhi healthy against the deadly duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
The Los Angeles Clippers will face a well-oiled machine
The Mavs have been one of the best teams in the league since the All-Star Break. The duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic has been both efficient and voluminous. The Mavs are almost guaranteed more than 60 points from them on a nightly basis. This is one of the reasons why Paul Pierce dubbed the Mavs duo as the “greatest scoring duo in NBA history” on UNDISPUTED . The Mavs have wisely shut down Luka and Kyrie for the last two Regular Season games. They have already shielded the crucial fifth-seed in the West and have secured an automatic qualification for the NBA Playoffs.
During the UNDISPUTED Segment, Pierce also had no hesitation in choosing the Mavs over the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. However, it isn’t that the Clippers lack a scoring punch in the absence of Leonard. They have the offensive minds of James Harden, Norman Powell, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. But they’d still hope that The Klaw is ready to go come playoff time so that next season, they can enter Intuit Dome with even more gusto.
