Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard has already been ruled out for L.A.’s must-win Game 6 contest against the Mavericks on Friday, the team has announced.
The 6’7″ swingman is dealing with right knee inflammation that has limited him to just two games this series. Injuries have now waylaid him for four straight postseasons, if one counts the 2022 play-in tournament during which he was still rehabilitating from a right knee ACL tear he suffered during the 2021 playoffs.
During his two healthy contests against the Mavericks, Leonard lacked a lot of his normal two-way mobility. He averaged just 12.0 PPG on 45.8% shooting from the floor and 66.7% shooting from the charity stripe, along with 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG and 2.0 SPG.
The two-time Defensive Player of the Year enjoyed his healthiest regular season in years in 2023/24, but Leonard’s good injury fortune appears to have run out during these playoffs. L.A. inked him to a three-year, $149.7MM contract extension midway through the season, but has yet to come to terms with its other injury-prone All-Star forward, Paul George.
L.A. indicated that starting shooting guard Terance Mann is considered questionable to play with a right lower leg contusion.
According to the NBA’s most recent injury report, 3-and-D Dallas wing Tim Hardaway Jr. will be unavailable with a right ankle sprain.
The Mavericks lead the Clippers 3-2 in their No. 4 vs. 5 Western Conference series matchup. The action is returning to Dallas on Friday night.
Kawhi is basically useless at this point of his career. He’s basically robbing the Clippers.
Been that way ever since he won that ring 5 years ago.
Kawhi is going to the Olympics for a working holiday. Going to land manage on team USA too.
Load manage, my bad
Anthony Edwards or Jaylen Brown should replace him since he is never healthy.
CF, great call and I bet it happens. Kawhi Leonard sits out and Anthony Edwards replaces him. Seems like a no-brainer right now with Ant climbing up the charts of respect and delivering the goods.
I thought Edwards was already on the team?
Yes he is already. My mistake. Sorry for the error.
Either way can’t be taking a passenger these days if your team USA. FIBA games are a bit different, nothing is guaranteed. Go see the Eiffel Tower on your own time.
Just be more careful next time as to not make more mistakes like this…
I know Brabo, but it’s bound to happen once in awhile. I comment 15 times a day so there’s going to be some errors. Keep up the good work.
Choosing to extend Kawhi and not PG is aging like Milk, who could have guessed.
I’ll almost go as far as to say that’s why Kawhi isn’t playing and PG is.
So ill ask…Was Kawhi a good pick up for the Clippers? Would they have been better off finding another player? He seems to never be available.
In his mind he’s probably proved himself already. Championship in San antonio. Championship in toronto. Now the big money. He’s done.
In hindsight sure another player but wow the tantalizing Prospect of having Kawhi Leonard is pretty hard to pass up if he’s willing to come. Especially if you have the money to pay him. Feel bad for the Clippers, they really try.
some things don’t change…priorities seem to be paycheck over championships…harsh to say but Kawhi seems out of the picture every playoff year…
Why is this a bad thing? It’s a job after all. Shouldn’t players try to make as much as they can?
with the goal of winning championships, why would a team pay a huge sum for a star who only plays in the regular season. Nice you support an individual’s right to whatever he can negotiate, but being a team sport, that doesn’t cut the mustard to win a championship…
I’m not talking about mustard I’m talking about basketball