There is no denying that Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the NBA. Capable of dominating on both ends of the court, he is the prototype that teams look for when it comes to two-way players on the wing.
Unfortunately for the Clippers, they haven’t had the luxury of Leonard being in the lineup as often as they had hoped. The first player to use load management as a reason to miss games in the NBA, Leonard has racked up an extensive injury report in his career.
Injuries have been the only thing to hold Leonard back in his career, otherwise he would be mentioned among the all-time great players to grace the NBA. A lockdown defender, Leonard turned himself into an efficient, offensive machine throughout his career as well.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
During the 2023-24 season, we are seeing that dominance on full display. For the first time in years, Leonard has consistently been in the Clippers lineup. Whether that is the NBA’s rule changes about players sitting out or Leonard legitimately being healthier, Los Angeles is certainly happy about how things have turned out.
After a slow start to the season, which included acclimating James Harden into the lineup, the Clippers have become the most dominant team in the NBA. Over their last 30 contests, Los Angeles has gone 25-5, steadily climbing the Western Conference standings and currently sitting a half-game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves for first place.
During that 30-game span, Leonard’s dominance has been on full display. He is averaging 26.4 points per game on an insanely efficient shooting split. Leonard has made 57 percent of his field goal attempts, 51 percent of his 3-pointers and 92 percent of his free throws, finding success at every level.
According to ESPN’s insider Adrian Wojnarowski, this has been a historic stretch for Leonard. He has become the first player in NBA history to average at least 25 points on a 55-50-90 shooting split over a 30-game span ever.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kawhi Leonard & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
That level of dominance has been unheard of, as Leonard is unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball right now. When you take into account how great he is defensively, he is forcing his way into the MVP discussion this season.
Leonard is stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis and in the lineup consistently for the Clippers. This is a welcome change compared to the last few seasons, as Los Angeles looks like legitimate title contenders with Leonard leading the way.
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