Everyone is waiting with bated breath to see if Kawhi Leonard will be good to go for the first-round playoff series between the Clippers and Mavericks. While the information around his knee inflammation out of the Clippers’ camp has been unclear, GM Lawrence Frank explained what’s happening with the two-time Finals MVP.
“Kawhi’s been dealing with inflammation for almost 3 weeks in his right knee. He’s doing everything, our medical staff is doing everything to get the inflammation down so he can play. Progress has been made, but more progress, the inflammation needs to continue to [go down] so he can do functional basketball movements. We’re hopeful he’s gonna get there.”
Frank also revealed Leonard’s practice status, revealing he’s been with the team for film sessions and other off-court activities but hasn’t been cleared for full-contact practice just yet.
“In terms of practice participation, he’s able to do all the mental preparation part of it, the film study, the personnel review. Hasn’t done any contact and we’ll just take it day by day.”
Lawrence Frank's opening statement on Kawhi Leonard:
“Kawhi's been dealing with inflammation for almost 3 weeks in his right knee. He's doing everything, our medical staff is doing everything to get the inflammation down so he can play. Progress has been made, but more progress,… pic.twitter.com/mc8JZTfZBN
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 18, 2024
Kawhi is the Clippers’ best player, averaging 23.7 points and 6.1 rebounds this season. Beating the Mavericks might not be possible without Kawhi, so the injury-prone forward will try and rush back to the court. He hasn’t played for the Clippers since the end of March while dealing with his knee injury.
The reason for the excess caution around Leonard’s health is likely due to his spotty injury history already. He suffered a partially torn ACL on the same right knee in the second round of the 2021 Playoffs, missing the entirety of the 2021-22 season as a result. He’s played 68 regular season games this season, the most of any season in his Clippers career.
Will Kawhi Leonard Be Impactful While Dealing With Injuries?
Kawhi making it onto the court won’t be enough for the Clippers. With the game still three days away, Leonard has the time to see if his knee can heal up enough to play in Game 1. But just because he’s playing in Game 1 doesn’t mean he’ll be as effective as he wants to be or the Clippers need him to be.
The Mavericks are a dangerous team, not resembling the version that the Clippers beat in 2020 and 2021. Luka Doncic isn’t alone anymore, as Kyrie Irving will be going toe-to-toe with the Clippers stars on his own as well. In addition, the Mavericks have athletic forwards and centers on their roster, ensuring a fast-paced and physical style of play.
Leonard was the key factor in securing the Clippers wins in their previous two playoff matchups, especially in 2021 with his Game 7 classic to avoid a disastrous first-round elimination. Without the battery of wing defenders they had then and a less than 100% Kawhi, the Clippers could be in danger.
Kawhi is among the biggest postseason risers in the NBA, so his ending another season with the Clippers injured as the team wonders what would happen if he was healthy is a huge disappointment.
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