Kawhi Leonard stated Monday his aim is to play within the Clippers’ regular-season opener in opposition to the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23.
However Leonard continues to cope with irritation in his surgically repaired proper knee and that’s why there was some uncertainty about when he’ll be wholesome sufficient to play, particularly after reviews that he had procedures on the knee over the summer time.
The Clippers’ plan is to restrict Leonard’s exercise in coaching camp, which begins Tuesday in Hawaii.
Leonard was requested if he deliberate on beginning for the Clippers on opening night time.
“That’s the plan,” he stated on the Clippers’ media day at Intuit Dome. “I never plan to miss games, but it just about my body. I’m a human being and we’re playing basketball, so it all depends on what we want and what we figure out and how my body is feeling. But right now I think it is a positive thing to think that I will play. But we take it day by day.”
Leonard, 35, sat out the ultimate eight regular-season video games final season and performed in solely two within the Clippers’ first-round playoff collection in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks due to the correct knee.
He was later despatched house from USA Basketball follow due to the knee difficulty. And Leonard, who performed in 68 video games final season, nonetheless is having knee issues.
Along with his three-year, $152.4-million contract kicking on this season, Leonard was requested if he’ll must cope with a knee scenario the remainder of his profession.
“It can get that way,” he stated. “But there’s not really … We got a sense of how we did get to that point. …There’s things we could do to prolong me playing throughout the season.”
Leonard has a historical past of knee issues. He suffered a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his proper knee that sidelined him for the 2021-22 season, a meniscus tear through the 2023 playoffs and now the irritation.
But, Leonard has pressed ahead, resulting in questions on what motivates him to maintain enjoying when his physique retains breaking down.
“I could play,” he stated. “I played my most games that I have in a long time last year, played 68 games. [I] was one of the guys that probably didn’t take a rest break earlier on in that season, but just keep going.
“Obviously, last two years I came back from ACL and been injured and it’s a progression for me. It was successful for us last year. Obviously from a fan base or just from my own competitive nature, we didn’t reach a goal, but the grand scheme of things, how my body has been doing it, it was a good year. I went from zero games [in ’21-22] to 52 [in ’22-23] to 68 [last season], so let’s see if I could keep it going from there.”
Leonard might be with out his sidekick, Paul George, who departed for the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer time.
That can imply that James Harden, who signed a two-year, $70-million extension, must improve his manufacturing for the Clippers to compete.
Clippers guard Kevin Porter Jr. poses for a photograph through the staff’s media day.
(Ryan Solar / Related Press)
Harden has heard the noise concerning the Clippers not being nearly as good as they had been final season once they completed fourth within the Western Convention, and about how they will not be a top-six staff this season and should must wrestle to be within the prime 10 for a play-in spot.
He’s not having it.
“Outsiders or people that are analysts, or whatever you want to call them, really don’t have high expectations for us,” Harden stated. “So we have high expectations for ourselves. And me individually. I’ve never missed a playoffs in my entire career. So I feel like that our entire team, we got a lot to prove for me as a leader.
“There’ve been a lot of situations where teams ‘quote unquote’ [weren’t] good enough and we made people believe in us. You know what I mean? So I feel like this is another opportunity for that. We got a lot of guys in this locker room that’s on that mindset. So, I’m excited for what we have.”
The Clippers added some new gamers, however probably the most controversial transaction was signing guard Kevin Porter Jr. to a two-year deal. Porter was arrested Sept. 11, 2023, on suspicion of assaulting a feminine companion at a New York Metropolis lodge, main the Houston Rockets to ban him from team-related actions. The Rockets traded Porter to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, who waived him. Porter spent final season in Greece.
Porter stated Monday that he’ll settle for no matter punishment the NBA fingers down however that he’s grateful to be again within the league.
“Whatever, I’m accountable for whatever comes,” Porter stated “The league [is] going to do what the league does and I’m ready for it. So, I’ve been getting ready for this season and nothing else really is going to provoke that. …For me, I’m just blessed to have this opportunity to be back doing what I love and being in L.A., you can’t complain about it. So, it’s just very beautiful.”
