Kawhi Leonard could return to action sooner than initially expected. The Los Angeles Clippers superstar once again was bothered by injuries last season, missing his team’s first-ever appearance in the Western Conference Finals after suffering a torn ACL.
Now The Klaw has received big updates on his rehab. According to Sports Illustrated’s Farbod Esnaashari, the 2x NBA champion could return to practice during the first quarter of 2022.
Going from that, he could be making his return to the court. Still, nothing is certain right now, but this possibility seems very likely for the Clips, seeing Leonard’s evolution.
Kawhi Leonard may be out for an extended period of time this season, but he hasn’t been completely ruled out. Multiple sources have revealed that as of right now, Kawhi Leonard is ahead of schedule with his ACL tear rehab.
In the most ideal scenario, Leonard could return to practice around March-April. League sources have indicated a hopeful return around that time frame, but it’s simply too far ahead to say right now. Those on the team are very impressed with the progress Kawhi Leonard is making, but they fully understand how far away any type of return is from now.
Despite the optimism, March-April is still a significantly long time away from the present. Any type of setback or issue could occur from now until then. With that in mind, there’s still no official timetable for return. Kawhi Leonard publicly addressed a potential timetable during media day, stating that he was just taking it “day-to-day”.
Team sources have told AllClippers that those on the team are “cautiously optimistic” about Leonard returning, as Ramona Shelburne also reported, but the Clippers are going to remain very cautious about his return. If staff doctors see any reason to shut Kawhi Leonard down, they will have no hesitancy in doing so. As of right now, those red flags don’t exist. Kawhi Leonard himself didn’t shut down any doors to returning this season, as he stated on media day, “I wanted to be able to come back if I was able to this year.”
Paul George will have the job of carrying this team while Leonard is out. If PG13 manages to keep them afloat during the first half of the season, and if Kawhi returns before the start of the playoff, the Clippers will be a menace for the rest of the West.
Time will tell if we’ll see Leonard making an early return. He’s made it clear he wants to win with the Clippers and next season will present a big challenge for them, as their city rivals Lakers are favorites to win it all. Perhaps with Leonard, the situation is different for the Clips.
