Without their two superstars, the Los Angeles Clippers have mostly cruised through this season, with little expectations and hardly any long-term assurances.
But at 8th in the West, they could end up in the playoffs by season’s end, and it has many wondering if Paul George and Kawhi Leonard could return to lead them to glory.
In a recent article, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports dropped an update on their potential report, revealing that it will only be possible if they play some games during the regular season first.
“Kawhi Leonard participated in a rigorous pregame workout that lasted for well over an hour today,” reported Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports. “I was told it was his first extended workout he’s performed in front of media members. From my observation, he has zero limitations. Yet still, the Clippers are being cautious and still aren’t issuing a timetable for him or Paul George. I spoke with Coach [Ty] Lue and he told me that if he can’t get his guys back for games in the regular season, it wouldn’t be safe for them to return in the playoffs.”
Things have been quiet on both fronts for a while now.
The last we hard regarding Paul George was in February when Haynes announced the Clippers swingman could return as early as March.
With Kawhi, news has been even more scarce (unsurprisingly). After tearing his ACL in the 2021 playoffs, nobody was expecting the notoriously careful two-way superstar to rush his recovery. Months later, we still don’t have information on how close he really is to playing again.
“I think the best answer is we don’t know,” said Clippers President Lawrence Frank. “He grinds every single day. He works. His focus is on his rehab. … No one knows. He doesn’t know. But all you can do is, just every day, continue to control what you can control and see how he responds.”
For now, all the Clippers can do is stay within striking range and hope for some good luck. Even in the deep and brutal Western Conference, a healthy Kawhi and Paul George could make waves.
No doubt, the entire NBA world will be watching the situation closely as the 2022 playoffs creep closer.
