Why is Kawhi Leonard avoiding checking NBA standings? Taking a look at LA Clippers star's comments ahead of their game against Warriors
Kawhi Leonard led the LA Clippers to their third consecutive win. The Clippers beat the New York Knicks 106-95 on Saturday night, improving LA's record to 36-33. This puts the team as the 5th seed in the West, which should make the players and fans happy. However, Leonard sees the situation otherwise and doesn't care about their standing at the moment.
During an interview with Kawhi Leonard after their Saturday night victory, he mentioned that he hasn't checked on the NBA standings as of late. Leonard's priority at the moment is to secure wins for the Clippers and worry about who they have to face next. For him, looking at the standings won't make a difference. The only thing that matters to get into the 2023 NBA Playoffs is by winning games.
The LA Clippers will face the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. This is a matchup that fans should anticipate as the victors of this game could change their status in the NBA standings. Given that both teams are just a game apart from each other, the Warriors have a chance to climb up and knock the Clippers back to the 6th seed.
Kawhi Leonard acknowledges the threat that awaits them but isn't too worried about the situation. Leonard is aware that their matchup with Golden State will be nothing short of challenging, however, as long as the team can perfectly execute the plays they have prepared, then LA shouldn't have any problems.
Is Kawhi Leonard playoff-ready?
Kawhi Leonard has missed half of the 2022-23 NBA season and fans are wondering if his injury management has done him good or bad. In the 41 games Leonard has played so far, he is averaging 23.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. His numbers are still solid despite the lack of playing time he's had this season.
Now that the NBA is in its final stretch of the regular season, it appears that the LA Clippers are allowing Leonard to play more often now to warm up for the 2023 NBA Playoffs. "The Klaw" has played in nine out of his last 10 games and has dominated in the majority of those games. Kawhi averaged 29.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in the last 9 games he played.
In one of those 9 games, Leonard got the job done on both ends of the court when he put up 44 points, 3 steals, and 2 blocks against the Sacramento Kings. He also had a couple of double-double outings. One was against the Memphis Grizzlies when he put up 34 points and 10 rebounds. The other was against his former team, the Toronto Raptors, where he added 24 points and 12 rebounds. These figures are a good indication that Kawhi Leonard is playoff-ready.