Opr of the cruciate ligaments in July 2021, Kawhi Leonard he spent an empty season behind this surgery to optimize his rehabilitation. Back in business for the 2022-2023 season, the All Star winger takes his time to pick up the pace. At the request of him, the coach Tyronn Lue knocks him off the bench. A paid formula for his first appearance against the Lakers with 14 points and 7 rebounds in 21 minutes. But after this match, Kawhi went back and forth to the infirmary. Absent against the Kings on Sunday, he returned to the field on Monday against the Suns, before being disqualified again tonight against the Thunder. The franchise said he would also rest on Thursday for Round 2 against OKC. Tyronn Lue makes it clear that his player has not suffered a relapse, but that he will undergo knee treatment in Los Angeles:
After warming up, he felt stiffness in his knee. And so we want to be careful, to make sure we do the right thing, even if he wants to play. We just thought he wasn’t smart. He can be mad at us if he wants to, but it wouldn’t be smart for him to play tonight.
Through its coach, the Californian franchise clearly announces that no risk will be taken with its leader. Leonard will need to be 100% physically before recovering the playing time he had before the injury. From 34 minutes in 2020, it’s only 21 minutes this season. also deprived of Paolo Giorgio et Marco Morris, the Clippers lost to the Thunder. But the roster is deep enough to wait for Kawhi’s return to form.
