After missing nearly half the season, Kawhi Leonard will reportedly make his season debut on Saturday.
The six-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP is expected to play in the Los Angeles Clippers’ game against the Atlanta Hawks, according to Veteran NBA reporter Chris Haynes. and Athletic Murray’s Law. OfficiallyLeonard’s status has improved from out to questionable with his recovery from his right knee injury.
Leonard previously posted a video on X last week hinting that a return was near.
“There have been good days. There have been bad days. But I keep coming back,” Leonard said as he searched the video. “It’s the nature of the game.”
Leonard has not been seen on an NBA court since the first round of last season’s NBA playoffs, which he exited with a right knee injury. Information on his progress since then has been vague and sporadic.
Will Kawhi Leonard’s injuries ruin another Clippers season?
Leonard was healthy enough to train with the US men’s national team ahead of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, but he withdrew from the team during camp and then underwent a knee procedure during the offseason. .
He initially said he planned to play in the Clippers’ season opener, but was then ruled out indefinitely with inflammation in his right knee. He finally returned to practice in mid-December and is now apparently ready to return.
Of course, the operative question with Leonard right now and probably for the rest of his career is how long he can stay on the court and whether any of the games he plays will be playoff-type games.
The Clippers have had Leonard on their roster for six seasons and have received a total of 257 games from him, 28 of them in the postseason. Several knee problems have caused him to miss the finals of four consecutive seasons for a team that bet everything on him leading them to a championship.
Without Leonard and with Paul George now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Clippers have so far held their own with a 19-15 record, currently good for seventh place in the Western Conference.
James Harden (21.8 points, 7.8 assists per game) and Norman Powell (23.9 points per game) have taken on the main offensive load in Leonard’s absence, but the NBA is ready to see for the first time what will happen. supposed to be the team this weekend. .