“I expect him to play at the start of the 2022-23 NBA season" - LA Clippers insider gives the latest on 2x NBA champion's return to court
LA Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard's long-awaited return to action is nearly over and the two-time champion is expected to feature at the start of the upcoming 2022-23 NBA season.
According to Law Murray of The Athletic, Leonard is expected to start the season for the Clippers. The superstar forward missed the entirety of the 2021-22 NBA campaign with an ACL injury that he picked up in the postseason of the 2020-21 season against the Utah Jazz.
"Yes, I expect Kawhi Leonard to play at the start of the 2022-23 NBA season for the LA Clippers," Law Murray wrote.
Leonard went down in Game four of the Western Conference semifinals against the Jazz last year. Despite missing their best player, the franchise made their first Conference finals appearance in their history but lost to the Phoenix Suns.
As soon as the two-time Finals MVP went down, there were initial hopes of him possibly returning to the fold last season. However, with Paul George also suffering an injury to his elbow, the Clippers decided to extend his recovery period and as a result he missed the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign for the franchise.
Will Kawhi Leonard be ready for the Clippers’ season opener?
@LawMurrayTheNU weighs in.
“I expect (him) to play at the start of the 2022-23 NBA season.”
theathletic.com/3540045/?sourc…
Earlier last month, there were reports of Kawhi Leonard continuing his rehab and had no restrictions in the process. The two-time NBA champion also seems to be as focused as can be, according to the report. The ACL injury, as cited frequently in the report, is a difficult recovery process, making Leonard's progress all the more impressive.
Without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the LA Clippers fell to a 42-40 record, making the Play-In tournament but losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first game. And then eventually losing to the New Orleans Pelicans as well, thereby bringing down the curtains on their season.
How far can Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers go this upcoming season?
The road to success is as tough as it gets in the Western Conference for the upcoming season. However, the LA Clippers are one of the powerhouses in the conference and have the potential to win the championship in the upcoming campaign.
With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading the way, the LA Clippers have arguably the two-best two-way players in the league barring Giannis Antetokounmpo. This, coupled with the presence of head coach Ty Lue, serves as the foundation from which the franchise could launch a victorious NBA championship campaign.
3 years ago today, Kawhi Leonard won his 2nd ring and Finals MVP 🔥
RD 1: 27.8 PTS - 6.6 REB - 56% FG
RD 2: 34.7 PTS - 9.9 REB - 53% FG
ECF: 29.8 PTS - 9.5 REB - 2.2 STL
Finals: 28.5 PTS - 9.8 REB - 2.0 STL
LeBron and MJ are the only 2 players with more points in a playoff run. https://t.co/Gfi3pofIOw
The Clippers have also acquired a quintessential point guard in John Wall. While the former All-Star hasn't played in the league for over two years, primarily due to injuries, he does solve their issues of bringing the ball up the court and facilitating the offense.
The Los Angeles Clippers have also acquired tremendous role players to bolster their roster. The franchise has all the pieces in place and will be hoping to keep Kawhi Leonard and PG13 healthy as their championship aspirations depend on those two players.