Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard has been working toward his return to the NBA ever since having his ACL surgically repaired in July of 2021. Leonard, who scored 31 points in his last NBA game before surgery, has played in two games so far this season, scoring 25 total points in just over 40 minutes of action.
And then, preparing for his third game back, Leonard felt knee soreness. He told the Clippers staff about it and they went into emergency player management mode. Which means the team sent Leonard back to LA for treatment, scratching him from the lineup for two games against the OKC Thunder.
Taking no chances with Leonard’s health is the policy the Clippers seem determined to follow, even when it disappoints their star. Because they want the Leonard in the clip below — full strength Kawhi.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue implied in his comments on the move that Leonard wanted to play but that the team put the kibosh on Leonard taking the court, forcing him to go for treatment instead.
“We want to be cautious, make sure we’re doing the right thing by him. Even though he wanted to play, we just thought it wasn’t smart,” Lue said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re doing the right thing.”
It’s never clear in such situations what the “right” thing is, but the Clippers are obviously prepared to err on the side of doing the cautious thing with Leonard going forward. The playoffs, many months from now, will say whether the strategy works.
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