Kawhi Leonard, the star forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, has been ruled out for multiple games already on the Lakers’ schedule. He’s dealt with a right-stiff ankle after the play. He had a great showing, putting up 27 points in 37 minutes. Unfortunately, that narrative took a sudden turn when he sustained a serious injury during the Clippers’ loss to the Miami Heat last Monday. The team is obviously concerned about losing Leonard. They’re looking ahead to a pair of very important home games on Monday and Wednesday.
This most recent injury only adds to a disheartening history of injuries that have befallen Leonard. Since joining the Clippers in 2019, he has been repeatedly put through the wringer. He missed the entire 2021-22 season while rehabilitating from a serious right knee injury. That’s a brutally familiar song of woe for Bagley, who missed the first 34 games last season because of complications from that same knee. These forearm injuries and surgeries raise a lot of red flags regarding his longevity moving forward. At 34, he finds himself at another crossroads.
Over the first part of this season, Leonard introduced his insane scoring prowess to the country. He exploded for a combined 72 points — 24 per game — over his first three games. He averaged 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game over that span. Combined with his offensive mastermind contributions, it showcased how valuable he was to the team. Coming on the heels of his showing against Miami, he’s now missed three consecutive games. That now includes Saturday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers’ head coach, Tyronn Lue, must devise a plan to compensate for Leonard’s absence as they enter a challenging stretch of seven straight road games starting Friday. Medical evaluations show that the ankle sprain will not result in long-term consequences. Despite the move, team officials have continued to temper expectations on Leonard’s definitive return schedule.
For now, Leonard is taking it easy and recuperating. In the meantime, the Clippers will have to learn how to live without their best player. The team will have to band together and figure out how to stay competitive in the absence of one of their stars.
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