"When he's 100% healthy, he is an elite superstar in this game” – Stephen A. Smith says he has ‘no faith’ in Kawhi Leonard’s health
Kawhi Leonard had his first start of the season on November 17 after missing 12 consecutive games. However, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith is not confident the two-time champion will remain healthy for the rest of the season.
Leonard sustained a knee injury in the 2021 Western Conference semifinals and has been out since. His return to action was highly anticipated, resulting in the LA Clippers being one of the favorites to win the 2023 championship.
Unfortunately, the two-way forward has missed more than he has played this season. He featured in the Clippers' season opener against the LA Lakers, with minute restrictions.
After playing one more game, he was sidelined indefinitely. There was no official report on whether he had reaggravated the injury.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue stated that Leonard is slowly working his way back to action. He highlighted that the All-Star has started to play 5-on-5 in practice.
Meanwhile, Smith is not convinced Leonard is all the way ready. He argued that Leonard is uninterested in playing if he is not fully fit. On "First Take," he was asked what he took away for Leonard's return and he said:
"He's a two-time champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP. When he is 100% healthy, he is an elite superstar in this game. I just have no faith that he's ever healthy. He's one of those guys that's perpetually injured, and he's reluctant to play unless he's feeling 100 percent, which I think is a problem.
"When he's on the court, the Clippers are one of the best teams in basketball, especially with Paul George and the exceptional coaching of Tyronn Lue. I just don't have faith that I can rely on Kawhi Leonard to stay healthy."
.@stephenasmith reacts to Kawhi Leonard's return:
"When he's 100% healthy, he is an elite superstar in this game. ... When he's on the court, the Clippers are one of the best teams in basketball. ... I just don't have faith that I can rely on Kawhi Leonard to stay healthy." https://t.co/ctmQim3wfe
The severity of his injury is cause for concern, which is why caution is advised. However, fans believe he has had enough time to rehab and should be helping the Clippers compete.
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The Clippers are over .500 without Kawhi Leonard
The Clippers have previously shown that they can handle themselves without Leonard. After he became unavailable during the 2021 conference semifinals, the team went ahead and reached the conference finals for the first time in their history.
However, the Clippers have not had a great start to their 2022-23 campaign. They are ranked ninth in the Western Conference with nine wins after 16 outings.
However, they have a positive record without their best player. While it has not been the prettiest ride, they have won seven out of 13 games without Leonard.
Although those are not championship contention numbers, they have some time to turn things around. With Leonard back in the fold, they could slowly build their way up to the top of the standings.
There are still a lot of games left to play this season. As Leonard works his way back to full health, things might look different for the Clippers. They could be the threat many anticipated they would be during the playoffs.
Read more: LA Clippers need Kawhi Leonard healthy to challenge for the championship