This the first season that the Los Angeles Clippers had a relatively healthy Kawhi Leonard.
Unfortunately, they might need to face the last week of the 2023-2024 NBA season without him after a right knee injury.
"Um, yes," head coach Ty Lue said when asked if the two-time Finals MVP status is concerning.
Leonard has played 68 games so far, the most for any player in the Clippers squad.
That is also the most number of games he has played since the 2016-2017 season when he was still part of the San Antonio Spurs.
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Los Angeles Clippers: Ty Lue's Kawhi Leonard Injury Update
He averaged 23.7 points per game on 52.5% shooting from the field and 41.7% on three's before the Tuesday news from the Clippers' camp.
He missed the game against the Sacramento Kings and it is still unknown if they will suit up against defending champions Denver Nuggets.
"We're not sure right now," Lue said.
"But that's what we are leaning to, that's what we're hopeful, that he can be back by Thursday but not sure yet."
ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk reported that Leonard did not join the team's road trip to Sacramento as he traveled back to Los Angeles to receive more treatment.
Los Angeles Clippers: When did Kawhi Leonard get Injured?
Leonard incurred the injury in a game against the Charlotte Hornets where he played 37 minutes and scored 23 points.
Before that, he was under monitoring for a knee injury although he did not miss a game in March.
He sat out the game against the Milwaukee Bucks back on March 11 because of what Lue described as an extreme schedule.
He only played the first quarter of the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 18 .
The Clippers have been dealing with injuries this season, specifically to Paul George and Russell Westbrook who recently just returned from a fractured left hand surgery.
His status for the All-Star Game 2024 was even threatened after discovering a hip injury.
"I don't think it's serious," Lue said back then.
"He played through it last game. He was experiencing some soreness in the hip, so when the game got out of reach we didn't put him back in the fourth quarter to be smart about it."
PG and Kawhi came to the Clippers together in 2019 as the new cornerstone of the team that entered a new era after the failed Lob City.
Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Injury History
Kawhi Leonard's health concerns are well-documented.
He has dealt with knee injuries since coming to the league.
The longest he's out was when he missed the entire 2021-2022 season due to an ACL injury.
The longest he missed in the 2023-2024 season is four games from December 21 to 29 because of a hip injury.
The Los Angeles Clippers are racing against time to have Kawhi Leonard ready for the playoffs.
The team reached all of their postseasons since his arrival but they were bugged by injuries by the time the playoffs started.
Right now, they are in fourth spot of the NBA Western Conference standings, two games above no. 5 Dallas Mavericks.
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