Star forward Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers missed his fifth consecutive game on Wednesday night. The squad went to war against the Denver Nuggets without his presence. Leonard right now is fighting through a sprained right ankle and a Grade 2 sprain of his right foot. As his absence from the race has lengthened, questions have arisen about Viers’ recovery time. His team says he shouldn’t plan to be back on the court for a while.
The Clippers have learned their lesson on being cavalier about Leonard’s injuries. He’s getting these kinds of treatments two, sometimes three, times a day. The patient care team is doing everything possible to counteract inflammation and expedite his recovery. Next week should better determine Leonard’s status, giving a better idea of what his condition looks like going forward.
The Clippers organization consulted with three doctors regarding Leonard’s injuries, a standard procedure for the team when addressing player health. According to Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, “Everyone has concurred in terms of what it is,” emphasizing the collaborative approach taken in evaluating Leonard’s injuries.
Leonard will join the Clippers on their upcoming six-game road trip. The trip begins in Dallas vs. the Mavericks on Friday, but it’s not yet clear whether he’ll be ready to play in those contests. The team wants to do right by him and make sure he’s as healthy as can be before coming back.
“He is making really good progress. We will continue to treat him. We will have a better feel for it next week.” – Lawrence Frank
That need for patience in Leonard’s long recovery is understandable. Frank was clear that healing the inflammation will require patience. He went on to say that the player is currently receiving two to three treatments a day in order to hasten his return to on-court action.
Leave a Reply