Clippers coach Tyronn Lue does not see any likelihood Kawhi Leonard will miss the upcoming season due to inflammation in his right knee, however the crew has “no timetable” for when the All-Star ahead will play in a recreation.
The Clippers open the common season Wednesday evening in opposition to the Phoenix Suns of their model new area, the Intuit Dome, after which have back-to-back video games at Denver and Golden State subsequent weekend.
Leonard won’t play in any of these video games as he strengthens his knee.
Due to his injured knee historical past, Lue was requested concerning the possibilities Leonard will miss all the 2024-24 marketing campaign.
Learn extra: Clippers ‘checking the boxes’ with Kawhi’s Leonard’s rehab, but when will he return?
“I don’t see these possibilities, however I’m not a health care provider, both,” Lue stated earlier than the Clippers performed their final preseason recreation in opposition to the Sacramento Kings at residence on Thursday evening. “However I don’t see these possibilities.”
Lue stated the crew’s plan is to let Leonard get wholesome and play him when the knee responds the suitable method.
“Like we stated from Day 1, it’s going to take a while,” Lue stated of Leonard’s restoration. “He’s going to progress. He’s doing all the suitable issues. He’s working laborious and he’s wanting good. So, there’s no timetable, or nothing like that. Nothing has modified from Day 1. Nonetheless working to get him to the place we’re making an attempt to get him too. And, so, till he’s 100% and he’s in a position to go and we’ve got no issues about him doing something completely different. Then we simply obtained to proceed to comply with the trail we’ve been on thus far.”
When requested if Leonard’s knee needs to be 100% wholesome earlier than he can play in a recreation, Lue stated, “Sure.”
The Clippers began coaching camp in Hawaii on Oct. 1 and have been training in Inglewood since returning residence, however Leonard hasn’t practiced with the crew.
Learn extra: Clippers to limit Kawhi Leonard’s training camp work because of knee
Lue was requested when will Leonard have the ability to do on-court apply along with his teammates.
“He’s feeling good,” Lue stated. “He’s progressing. He’s getting into the suitable route, doing all the suitable issues. So, quickly he will likely be on the court docket, however not but.”
Leonard, 35, missed the ultimate eight regular-season video games final season and performed in simply two of the Clippers’ first-round playoff sequence video games in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks due to his knee harm.
He was sent home from USA basketball apply earlier than the Olympics in July due to the knee challenge, with the aim of getting the knee prepared for the beginning of the season.
Lue, an assistant coach on the U.S. basketball crew, stated Leonard was doing well earlier than he was faraway from the American roster.
“I imply, he felt good, he regarded good,” Lue stated. “The swelling was down. Every little thing was getting into the suitable route. So, he had labored laborious to get to that time after which when you begin enjoying, you by no means know what’s going to occur. However he was in place, we thought, in the suitable place to go ahead. It was a setback. That was unlucky.”
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After being despatched residence from Las Vegas, Lue maintained that Leonard hasn’t had a setback.
“No setbacks, simply working in the direction of the aim,” Lue stated. “Like I stated, he appears to be like good. He’s working laborious to get to the place we’d like him to get to and there hasn’t been any setbacks, no.”
Leonard, who performed in 68 video games final season, is within the first yr of his three-year, $152.4-million deal.
He has dealt with injuries since signing with the Clippers as a free agent in 2019.
Learn extra: Eliminated by Mavericks, Clippers have a number of offseason questions to address
Leonard suffered a partial tear of an anterior cruciate ligament in his proper knee that sidelined him for the 2021-22 season, a meniscus tear through the 2023 playoffs and now the knee irritation that’s impacting his enjoying time throughout two seasons.
He has performed in simply 229 out of the 410 regular-season video games since becoming a member of the Clippers.
“For me, I feel the fellows perceive we’re going to compete, we’re going to play laborious, we’re going to win till Kawhi will get again,” Lue stated. “We’re going to carry it down till he will get again, and that’s these guys’ mindset. As a lot as Kawhi desires to be on the ground and the laborious work he’s placing in to get there, we’re going to carry down till he will get again.”
This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times.
