Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers have been conservative with his playing time all season long in hopes of keeping the 2x champion healthy and at his best for the postseason. Sadly, things aren’t going to plan for Kawhi and the Clips.
While Leonard himself was great during his games against the Suns, he has missed the last two games with a knee injury. Amid accusations of load management and some in the media questioning his commitment to playing, Tyronn Lue shot down all the narratives in a recent press conference.
“He’s definitely hurt. It’s not load management where he’s taking time off,” said Lue. “He’s shown in his past that he’s played through injuries in the playoffs. If it’s something he can’t play through, then it has to be pretty serious. It’s an actual thing.”
Tyronn Lue on Kawhi Leonard:
“He's definitely hurt. It's not load management where he's taking time off. He's shown in his past that he's played through injuries in the playoffs. If it's something he can't play through, then it has to be pretty serious."pic.twitter.com/kxz52caOcK
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 24, 2023
Kawhi typically saves his best for the playoffs, so it was a surprise to see him go down so early, especially after such a dominant showing through the first two games. But he’s also infamous for his load management routine, which involves skipping many games over the course of the season.
This time, it appears that Leonard is actually hurt — but it hasn’t stopped the experts from calling him unreliable.
Has Kawhi Leonard Been A Bad Investment For The Clippers?
Leonard’s talent is undeniable, but his knack for missing games has severely hurt the Clippers, who are now without both of their top stars in the NBA playoffs. Sadly, it’s been a recurring theme for the Clips since Kawhi’s arrival.
“We’re year four of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. I’d love to keep Paul George because he plays when he can, he’s verbal, and he talks to coaches, but Kawhi Leonard is 32, and he’s not gonna become verbal, engaging, and a great communicator. It’s time to move off Kawhi Leonard,” said Colin Cowherd.
The Clippers are obviously not thinking about moving Kawhi, but maybe they should. If he can’t stay on the floor and consistently stay in the lineup, the franchise is going to struggle to get where they want to be.
Hopefully, Kawhi is back for Game 5 because, if not, it could be the end of another wasted season for the Clippers.
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