A big reason that the Los Angeles Clippers haven’t been able to achieve the level of success they feel is possible has been the health of superstar Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has been unable to stay healthy, routinely missing large chunks of the NBA season.
The originator of load management from his time with the San Antonio Spurs, Leonard has continued doing that with the Clippers. Some of it has been necessary, as he did miss the 2021-22 season because of an ACL injury. That led to Los Angeles being cautious this past season with his usage.
Whenever they push him, something bad seems to happen. He played through some discomfort early in the postseason, but that cost him and the team as he tore his meniscus and was forced to the sidelines.
There is certainly some method to the madness regarding load management. But the NBA is a business; they want their best players to be on the court as much as possible. So, new rules were implemented to limit players sitting out games, especially on the road.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
Not surprisingly, it wasn’t something Leonard was thrilled about. A man of very few words, he let his feelings be known that no matter what rules the league puts in place, they aren’t going to help him stay healthy.
When Leonard is healthy enough to play, he will play. That is the sentiment that Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue shared. He commented on the reports of his guys not liking to play but said that is not true.
Injuries have been a major topic of discussion for the Clippers as they have the talent to win a championship. But, with so many players missing games throughout the season, finding continuity and chemistry was impossible, dooming them when it mattered most. In Leonard’s assumption, many of them were unavoidable accidents on the court.
“A lot of our injuries last year were just stepping on someone’s foot or running into somebody,” Leonard said.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
Whatever the reason for sitting out games, expect the Clippers’ stars to play a little more this season than they have. No one expects Leonard to play in all 82 games, but appearing in more than 60 for the first time since the 2016-17 season would be nice to see.
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