The Los Angeles Clippers’ poor start this season comes back to the same issue that haunts them every season. Kawhi Leonard is needed on the court for the team to compete against the top teams in the loaded Western Conference. Unfortunately, the injuries continue to hurt the Clippers due to Leonard missing games.
Hope for a return this week has vanished thanks to the Clippers ruling out Leonard for Thursday’s game against Orlando Magic. Leonard’s right ankle sprain will see the former NBA Champion missing his ninth consecutive game for Los Angeles. The Clippers have a 1-7 record during this stretch and clearly need their franchise player.
An overall record of 4-10 sees the Clippers just one game out of a play-in seed, but they had much higher aspirations than the tenth seed. The gap is five games behind the sixth seed Minnesota Timberwolves for a guaranteed postseason spot. Leonard is needed to have a chance at this spot, especially since the team is proving they can’t win without him.
Kawhi Leonard Looked Great Before Injury
The other constant to Leonard often missing time is that he usually plays spectacular basketball when he’s on the court. Kawhi played the first six games of this season and was on pace for another All-Star season. Averages of 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game helped the Clippers go 3-3 in that time frame before his injury.
Leonard is still among the best two-way players in the league at full strength, but it remains a difficult task to get him on the court at full strength all season. Teammate James Harden is also having a great season that’s unfortunately flying under the radar due to all the losing.
Harden is averaging 26.2 points, 8.7 assists, and 6.3 rebounds to set himself up for another All-Star selection. The legend is proving he can still play at a high level, but he clearly needs more help around him to win. Leonard is the only solution to the Clippers problem and is currently without an official timetable.
Why Clippers Need Kawhi Leonard Badly
The offseason for the Clippers featured many pundits expecting them to have stronger depth for a deeper playoff run this time around. Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal, and John Collins all joining the team felt like a guarantee for improvement. Unfortunately, most of the moves have blown up in their faces.
Lopez and Paul have shown their older ages are a real problem currently limiting them from contributing to rotation minutes. Beal suffered a season-ending injury to remove him from the roster for the rest of the season. Collins is playing solid basketball, but he’s not enough to make a big difference.
Leonard is the only game changer that can help Harden lead the team to contend for a title. The return of Kawhi will provide a massive relief for the entire team, but his ability to play every game is not trusted. Leonard’s health must truly turn around for the Clippers to do anything of note this season.
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