With Clippers coaching camp approaching, questions proceed to swirl across the well being of star Kawhi Leonard following the irritation in his proper knee that sidelined him late final season and within the first spherical of the playoffs.
Leonard is coping with swelling however is progressing towards full well being, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank mentioned Tuesday.
Firstly of final season, Leonard was the healthiest he had been in years and he appeared in 68 video games. Nonetheless, it was the third straight season he failed to complete, not counting the 2021-22 season, which he missed fully.
Leonard has struggled with an in depth damage historical past throughout his Clippers tenure, together with a partial tear of an anterior cruciate ligament that sidelined him for 2021-22, a meniscus tear through the 2023 playoffs and this present case of knee irritation.
“It’s truly unfortunate that he’s had to deal with this, but we’re trending in the right direction,” Frank mentioned. “The goal is to get him to 100% so he can have a great season, not just this year, but for many years.”
The group has developed an in depth plan to information Leonard’s restoration that will deal with strengthening and step by step rising the load on Leonard’s knee. Whereas Frank mentioned the swelling has considerably decreased, the Clippers plan to take a cautious method and restrict Leonard’s exercise throughout coaching camp.
Leonard tried to return for the Olympic Video games this summer time however was despatched dwelling from Crew USA camp.
“It’s almost gone,” Frank mentioned of the swelling. “He wants to participate in everything during training camp, but we’re going to hold him back from drill work and really focus on strengthening.”
The query is whether or not Leonard will probably be prepared for the season opener towards the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23 at Intuit Dome. Coaching camp opens Monday and the preseason opener is Oct. 5 towards the Golden State Warriors in Hawaii.
Frank remained noncommittal about whether or not Leonard can be prepared. He famous that the offseason has been devoted to getting the six-time All-Star nearer to full wholesome and never speeding the method.
“The timing will depend on how his knee responds to each phase,” Frank mentioned. “No one has a crystal ball. … I know he’s super determined to have a great year, but when it comes to your body and health, I don’t think you put time frames on it.”
Coach Tyronn Lue stays assured that Leonard ultimately will return to full well being however helps the cautious method.
“We’ve got to go step by step and make sure he’s checking all the boxes,” Lue mentioned. “The medical staff will tell us when he’s ready to do everything and what he’s capable of. So our focus is on the guys practicing, making sure we’re doing it hard and doing it the right way. No shortcuts.”
Within the occasion of Leonard’s absence, James Harden is predicted to tackle the position of main offensive weapon, a situation Lue deliberate for even when Leonard is obtainable.
“More pick and rolls and scoring the basketball,” Lue mentioned. “Taking more shots. He’s a dynamic playmaker also.”
With Paul George leaving for Philadelphia in free company, the Clippers’ assault now revolves round a brand new one-two punch of Leonard and Harden.
“When you lose a player like PG, it’s always tough to try to replace that kind of player,” Lue mentioned. “James and Kawhi will help us offensively. … Everybody else has got to fit around it to make sure that we have the right spacing, the right guys with the ball in our hands and making the right play.”
The Clippers’ offensive pecking order stays clear, which, in accordance with Frank, has made issues simpler for the group. Harden, coming into his first full season with the Clippers, has absolutely built-in himself after final 12 months’s early season commerce, which initially left him to play catch-up in studying his position within the offense and creating chemistry.
“It’s always hard when you get traded, and when you don’t go through a training camp, you can’t develop those bonds with the team,” Frank mentioned. “He’s totally immersed himself with the team.”
There are rumblings and questions on whether or not this can be a championship-caliber roster, and Frank didn’t draw back from acknowledging the skin noise. If they’ve a wholesome Harden and Leonard, he’s assured that the strikes they made to add depth and construct a roster to enhance them can allow them to compete within the Western Convention.
“I have the internet,” Frank mentioned. “I’m not going to put a ceiling and say what we can and cannot be. … I’m not going to read too much into it, but I do like the chemistry and camaraderie of what I see. The biggest thing we have is opportunity.”
