Kawhi Leonard’s Opening Night Status Uncertain Due to Knee Issue
The Los Angeles Clippers will tip off their 2024-25 season in less than a month when they take on Pacific Division rivals the Phoenix Suns. The Clippers will open the season in their brand new, state-of-the-art arena, the Intuit Dome.
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The Clippers are entering a new chapter in their franchise; however, some things remain lingering from their past seasons.
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
Although it is a new season, some things remain the same, like the health of star forward Kawhi Leonard. According to NBA writer Tomer Azarly, Leonard’s status for opening night is uncertain due to knee inflammation.
Azarly shared the news via Twitter/X.
Lawrence Frank says Kawhi Leonard has been encouraged by the progress that he’s seen in his knee recovery.
Frank adds that Kawhi Leonard’s availability for opening night will depend on how his knee progresses over the next month. https://t.co/5WkgBowxB3
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 24, 2024
Azarly also added that Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said that the inflammation had gone down significantly but not completely. The Clippers are hopeful that Leonard will be ready in less than a month from now.
“His right knee, the swelling has significantly gone down. It’s almost gone. … We’re going to hold him back from drill work [in training camp] and work on strengthening,” said Frank.
In the meantime, Leonard will be held out of certain drill work to open Clippers training camp. They will focus on strengthening and loading.
The Clippers begin their preseason on Oct. 5 in Honolulu, with games also scheduled in Seattle and Inglewood.
Leonard had to withdraw from the 2024 Paris Olympics in July due to knee issues. The inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee — the same knee that kept him out of the Clippers’ first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks in April — has been causing him pain.
The 33-year-old was coming off one of his healthiest seasons in a long time. Leonard played 68 games in the 2023-24 season, averaging 23.7 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three.
The six-time All-Star played in his most games last season, the most since the 2016-17 season when he played in a career-most 74 games.
Per Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic, Leonard actually had a “procedure” on the knee at some point during the 2024 offseason.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard underwent a procedure on his knee in the offseason, sources tell me and @LawMurrayTheNU. The franchise said today Leonard will be limited to strengthening his knee to start Clippers training camp, but team officials are optimistic about his progress. pic.twitter.com/VtCvlBEhPf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 25, 2024
When Leonard is healthy, his impact on the Clippers and on basketball cannot be disputed. He is a two-time league champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, six-time All-NBA, seven-time All-Defensive team, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team.
Leonard will enter his 14th pro season, with his focus clearly on making sure he’s healthy for an entire postseason for the first time since 2020.
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