The Los Angeles Clippers are in as deep trouble as the Los Angeles Lakers or maybe even more with Kawhi Leonard out for at least three more games.
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‘The Klaw’ missed all of last season due to his recovery from a torn ACL in the right knee which he suffered in the 2021 Playoffs, and now he hasn’t started even one of his team’s first six games due to some discomfort with the same knee.
The Clips are 2-4 to start their 2022-23 and Kawhi just played two games, where he started off the bench. One of the two victories came in his first game of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers.
But after those two games, he has missed 4 straight and is probably going to miss 3 more, including the ongoing clash against the Houston Rockets.
Kawhi Leonard is frustrated and not where he wants to be
Before they played their 7th game of the season looking to race to back to even terms, the Clippers were facing 1-6 Rockets who are also wanting to put on a good game for the people of Houston.
The Rockets did get good news for that to realize, which couldn’t have been any worse for the Clippers who were awaiting the 2x Finals MVP to return to action – Leonard might miss 7 straight games.
And for that, he is frustrated according to Head Coach Ty Lue.
— Law Murray 🎃 (@LawMurrayTheNU) November 1, 2022
We know that Leonard doesn’t even have too many games to be his best. And his best could put every contender in the league in trouble.
But, missing a whole season for a knee injury and then that same one troubling him again could mean bad news for his and the Clippers’ 2022-23 season as well.
Can Clippers reach anywhere without Leonard?
After adding John Wall to an already deep bench, the Clippers are good enough for a Play-in tournament finish even with Paul George fully fit throughout the season.
Kawhi’s presence can only make them push for a Top-6 finish and then the championship. Without him, they will face difficulty in winning their Play-in game and even if they do that, they are not getting past the first round.
The West is a different beast this season and the Clippers need The Klaw to even scratch the surface for contention.