After suffering an ACL tear during the 2021 playoffs, Kawhi Leonard there was little hope that we’d see Kawhi Leonard play at all this season.
So far, that prediction has panned out perfectly, with nobody really seeing or hearing from the guy since the season began.
But now, Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes is reporting that Leonard is ahead of schedule in his rehab, and could actually make his return this season after all.
There is a “strong possibility” that Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, who has been sidelined since suffering a partially torn right ACL during his team’s second-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz last June, returns to the court this season.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported the news during his TNT sideline reporting duties in the midst of the Clippers at Phoenix Suns game on Thursday. He also noted that Leonard is “ahead of schedule” in his rehab.
Kawhi, 30, is a 5x All-Star and 2x Champion who is widely considered one of the league’s greatest two-way players. In San Antonio he established himself as a premier talent, taking over the team towards the end of the Tom Duncan era.
After a series of unfortunate events saw Kawhi lose trust in the organization, he landed in Toronto, where he famously led the Raptors to their first-ever Championship before he left for Los Angeles months later.
So far, his Clippers tenure has been anything but smooth sailing. His first season ended in major disappointment and his second season didn’t turn out much better, with the ACL tear bringing him down before he got the chance to finish.
This season, the Clips (who are also without Paul George) are barely hanging on. At 19-19, they’re 8th in the West with Minnesota not too far behind.
If they can hang on, and stay within striking distance until Kawhi’s return, it could be all they need to revive their chance at a semi-respectable playoff run.
