“He ain’t missing a cheque, he ain’t missing a helicopter ride… Can we see you play please?” – NBA analyst demands 2X NBA Champion’s availability for Clippers, says his star image is masking his unavailability

Stephen A. Smith has never been shy about sharing his opinions. Especially when it comes to the NBA. He has taken many players to task for how they play or how they behave off the court.

Today on ESPN’s 'First Take', Smith aimed his sights at LA Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard. Smith has an issue with how many games Leonard tends to miss each NBA season.

Smith, who was alongside NFL veteran Keyshawn Johnson for the segment, let everyone know how he felt about Kawhi’s lack of durability:

"When we talk about a cat that is an absolute professional at missing games, Kawhi [Leonard], nobody beats him. ... Can we see you play please?"

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"When we talk about a cat that is an absolute professional at missing games, Kawhi [Leonard], nobody beats him. ... Can we see you play please?"

Stephen A. gave Leonard a pass for missing the 2021-22 NBA season as he was recovering from a torn ACL. Smith feels that Leonard doesn’t get enough criticism for intentionally missing games.

The basketball media is quick to judge Anthony Davis for always being injured. But why does Kawhi Leonard get a pass? Smith asserts that it's because of Leonard's reputation as a fierce competitor on the court. He is a two-time NBA Champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP. Leonard is also one of the best two-way players in the league.

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Kawhi Leonard struggles to stay on the court

Since entering the league in 2011, the most games Kawhi Leonard has ever played in a single season is 74. He did that back with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2016-2017 season. He has only passed the 70-game mark twice in his career. Since he has been with the LA Clippers, Leonard has failed to play at least 60 games in a season.

During Leonard’s lone season with the Toronto Raptors in 2018/19, he only managed to play in 60 regular-season games. He was available in the playoffs when it mattered the most. Leonard averaged 30.9 points on 49.2% shooting, and 9.1 rebounds through 24 playoff games that year. The Raptors won their first-ever NBA championship, and Leonard was awarded the NBA Finals MVP.

Raptors Kawhi was really one of the best players ever in our generation

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In 11 NBA seasons, Kawhi Leonard has played in 576 out of a possible 902 regular season games. That means he's played just 63.9% of the time throughout his career. It averages out to only 52 games in an 82-game season. That's simply not enough for a player of his caliber.

Leonard is the poster for the NBA’s load management trend. There is an old saying in sports: "the best ability is availability." Unfortunately, that is not a strong suit for the 31-year old.

Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers will open their 2022-23 season against the LA Lakers on October 20.