The Los Angeles Clippers are practically assured to play the Dallas Mavericks within the first spherical of the NBA playoffs as both the fourth or fifth seed within the Western Convention, but it surely’s not clear if and when Kawhi Leonard will likely be in uniform to hitch them.
As of Wednesday, April 10, the Clippers star is ready to overlook his sixth straight sport attributable to what the workforce is so far solely calling “proper knee irritation,” however was sufficient of a problem to see him despatched house from a highway journey after it occurred, and has had little or no concrete info supplied on it since.
He didn’t journey to Phoenix for the primary half of their back-to-back towards the Suns, and can sit out of the second half as properly:
Clippers harm report
Paul George – Left Knee Soreness
James Harden – Proper Foot Irritation
Kawhi Leonard – Proper Knee Irritation and Russell Westbrook— left hand contusion are all out for Suns sport tonight— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) April 11, 2024
Right here is remainder of the newest we find out about what’s going on, and when he may very well be again:
Kawhi received an MRI
In keeping with Tomer Azarly, who covers the Clippers as a credentialed reporter for Clutch Factors, Leonard “underwent a precautionary MRI upon returning to Los Angeles, which didn’t present something that may trigger the Clippers important concern.”
Leonard left the workforce’s highway journey after the soreness flared up vs. the Charlotte Hornets on April 1, and went again to Los Angeles for remedy slightly than proceed on with the workforce to Sacramento to face the Kings.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was initially hoping Leonard could be again final Thursday, April 4 towards the Denver Nuggets… however he has as an alternative missed that sport as properly, and each sport since:
Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard’s proper knee soreness is one thing new that popped up after the final sport. He went again to Los Angeles for higher remedy. Lue hopes Leonard can play Thursday towards the Nuggets.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 2, 2024
Azarly moreover reported that his sources say Leonard is “not anticipated to be out lengthy sufficient to hazard his playoff availability, assuming the Clippers end with a top-six seed.” Nonetheless, Legislation Murray of The Athletic wrote that “whereas the Clippers stay unconcerned about his standing total, workforce sources keep that they won’t rush him again.”
The workforce is just not offering any substantial updates
The Clippers have principally been mum on any specifics concerning their perpetually mysterious star. Lue wouldn’t even verify to the media whether or not or not Leonard received imaging performed on his injured proper knee:
Tyronn Lue says Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is gonna miss a pair video games and refused to reply if he received an MRI on his knee:
“We’re not gonna get into the small print of it, however he’s gonna miss a pair video games and we should be able to step up as he goes via his rehab course of.”
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 5, 2024
The explanation for burbling skepticism about Leonard’s availability — and concerning the Clippers’ updates on it — is that this knee is similar one which Leonard tore his meniscus in in the course of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, which the Clippers initially framed as a day-to-day “proper knee sprain” earlier than confirming the a lot worse harm after the postseason was over.
Leonard additionally partially tore his ACL in the identical proper knee in the course of the 2021 NBA playoffs, later present process surgical procedure that value him all the 2021-22 season.
Leonard is the Clippers’ consensus finest participant, and their possibilities of doing a lot — if something — within the postseason will hinge on how wholesome he can get for the primary spherical, which is why the workforce’s caginess on this example bears monitoring.
Will Leonard be again for the 2024 NBA playoffs?
To date it seems that he’ll. Azarly reported on Friday, April 5 that Leonard “and the workforce are going via the rehab course of, managing the irritation in his knee, they usually’re hopeful he’ll return someday subsequent week, in time to play the ultimate two or three video games of the common season.”
The Clippers have two extra video games earlier than the tip of the common season he may theoretically play in after being dominated out on Wednesday: Friday, April 12 towards the Utah Jazz, and Sunday, April 14 within the common season finale towards the Houston Rockets.
Keep tuned and bookmark this web page, as we will likely be offering stay updates as they arrive on Leonard’s standing if and when he returns, whether or not to ramp up for the common season, or for the 2024 playoffs.