The last time Kawhi Leonard stepped on a basketball court was June 14, 2021, when he tore the ACL in his right knee.
Without him, the Los Angeles Clippers haven’t experienced nearly the same success, already losing more games than they did throughout the 2020-21 season. This isn’t a surprise, especially considering their other All-Star, Paul George has also played just 26 out of a possible 54 games this season.
At the moment, returning to the Western Conference Finals may seem out of reach for a team without their stars, but George is still likely to return later this season.
Even at 27-27, going 13-15 is better than most would have predicted for a team without their best two players. It shows the extra effort coach Tyronn Lue has gotten out of his squad in an otherwise tough year.
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Kawhi Leonard still likely out for 2021-22 season
While last month it was noted by Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports that Leonard was ahead of his rehab schedule, recovering from an injury as serious as a torn ACL doesn’t allow for shortcuts to be taken. It’s not like Leonard is going to return in half the time as others typically do.
When speaking to the media after Thursday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers, coach Lue cautioned against an early return for Leonard.
This bit from Lue shouldn’t come as a surprise, since Leonard’s injury occurred so late in the season, few anticipated the two-time NBA champ to rush a return just to play a few games late in the regular season. Especially if the Clippers aren’t competitive.
Yet, currently in position to grab the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, they’re doing better than expected. Once George makes his return, they should be able to secure a playoff spot. Now, if the Clippers do reach the playoffs, it may be a different story, but that’s still a couple months away.
