The Los Angeles Clippers are slated to play the Utah Jazz tonight at Intuit Dome. They have been going through a slump lately as they are on a three-game losing streak. The Clips have missed their star player Kawhi Leonard badly so far, who is yet to make his season debut.
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With an easy assignment coming up against a team with a losing record, will Kawhi lace up for his team and bring their losing streak to an end?
Kawhi has been listed as ‘Out’ on the injury report because of the right knee injury which has sidelined him for months. Therefore, the Klaw will not be available for the Jazz game. Derrick Jones Jr. and Terance Mann are also listed as ‘out’ for the next game.
The Clippers are currently the ninth-ranked team in the Western Conference with a 14-12 record. Their record is expected to get better once Kawhi joins the team.
Kawhi Leonard is out tomorrow against the Utah Jazz. His return will not come on his bobblehead night.
The Clippers also remain without Derrick Jones Jr. and Terance Mann.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) December 16, 2024
While fans are waiting for the two-time NBA Champion to make his 2024-25 debut, he has been making a lot of progress in his recovery. The 33-year-old has started practicing with the team. Although he is operating on no contact for now, Kawhi has covered a long road on his recovery journey. His presence in practices is also helping uplift the team’s morale.
Recently Clippers head coach Ty Lue talked about his star player and stated that the team needed the fresh energy that Kawhi has brought back with him. He said, “It raised our energy. Just for our guys to see him on the floor brought a juice to our team. We needed that jolt. Especially going through the schedule we’ve been through.”
Ty Lue on Kawhi Leonard being back on the court with the Clippers:
“It raised our energy. Just for our guys to see him on the floor brought a juice to our team. We needed that jolt.”
Lue said Kawhi is really intrigued by what the Clippers have done defensively. pic.twitter.com/oSHGFg9lyl
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) December 10, 2024
As of now, there’s no confirmation on Kawhi’s return to the Clippers. Recently Bill Simmons revealed on his podcast that, “My Clippers guy was telling me Kawhi’s coming back before Christmas. I think he’s ramped up. He’s ramped up and ready to go.”
We are less than 10 days away from Christmas and the Clippers have three more games to play before the holiday. Their next three matchups, after the Jazz game are two against the Mavericks and one against the Grizzlies. If Simmons’ intel is credible, we might see Kawhi on the floor in any of these games.
