The Los Angeles Clippers face an unplanned condition in connection with Kawhi Leonard being too playable for Game 1 of their first-round playoff encounter with the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, as his coach, Ty Lue, says. Leonard, the only one who has been unavailable for team action since the beginning of April because of his inflammation of a knee, took part in the practice only on the previous Tuesday; however, his condition has yet to be determined.
Ironically, Leonard was voted a starter in the All-Star Game for the sixth time in a row, despite playing constantly with injuries throughout his career. That campaign has been statistically the best of his since the 2016–17 season, in which he played 74 games for the San Antonio Spurs. Nevertheless, it was the consistent lower-body problems that were long-term enough to take him off the ice for several games (2017–18, 2018–19, and 2021-22).
In only three instances, even in postseason games, Kawhi Leonard did suffer setbacks due to injuries. Last year, during the Clippers’ battles against the Phoenix Suns, he injured his knee, and as a result, he missed the last three games of the series. That was not all because he hurt his ACL during the 2021 postseason too and was playing on an injured leg during a set of the 2019 roster, although they won the championship.
The Clippers have run into problems since the All-Star break, as the 15 wins to 14 losses are coupled with a defence slip-up, consequently ranking 22nd in the league for the period. The Clippers are well acquainted, having faced the Mavericks for the third year in a row, the last of which was two years ago. However, the Mavericks have added another ace with the signing of star player Kyrie Irving, increasing the challenge as the former wears the battle armour one more time.
From the viewpoint of the Clippers’ postseason plans, a healthy Leonard is almost the key to the Kingdom, particularly while other key players and the staff are indisposed on some kind of question. With Brian Stevens orchestrating the offence, Tyler Herro turning in impressive performances from the bench, Jimmy Butler’s playmaking skills, and Bam Adebayo’s defensive abilities, this roster offers plenty of options and talents that can be used effectively in matchups.
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