Tyronn Lue expects injured Clippers star Kawhi Leonard to finally play this season
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue does not see any likelihood Kawhi Leonard will miss the upcoming season due to irritation in his proper knee, however the workforce has “no timetable” for when the All-Star ahead will play in a sport.
The Clippers open the common season Wednesday evening towards the Phoenix Suns of their model new enviornment, the Intuit Dome, after which have back-to-back video games at Denver and Golden State subsequent weekend.
Leonard is not going to 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 bins’ with Kawhi’s Leonard’s rehab, however 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 sport towards the Sacramento Kings at residence on Thursday evening. “However I don’t see these possibilities.”
Lue stated the workforce’s plan is to let Leonard get wholesome and play him when the knee responds the fitting approach.
“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 fitting issues. He’s working arduous 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 attempting to get him too. And, so, till he’s 100% and he’s capable of go and we’ve got no issues about him doing something totally different. Then we simply received to proceed to comply with the trail we’ve been on up to now.”
When requested if Leonard’s knee must be 100% wholesome earlier than he can play in a sport, 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 workforce.
Learn extra: Clippers to restrict Kawhi Leonard’s coaching camp work due to knee
Lue was requested when will Leonard have the ability to do on-court apply together with his teammates.
“He’s feeling good,” Lue stated. “He’s progressing. He’s getting into the fitting course, doing all the fitting issues. So, quickly he will likely be on the courtroom, 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 collection video games towards the Dallas Mavericks due to his knee harm.
He was despatched residence from USA basketball apply earlier than the Olympics in July due to the knee challenge, with the objective of getting the knee prepared for the beginning of the season.
Lue, an assistant coach on the U.S. basketball workforce, stated Leonard was doing properly earlier than he was faraway from the American roster.
“I imply, he felt good, he appeared good,” Lue stated. “The swelling was down. The whole lot was getting into the fitting course. So, he had labored arduous to get to that time after which when you begin taking part in, you by no means know what’s going to occur. However he was in place, we thought, in the fitting 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 objective,” Lue stated. “Like I stated, he appears to be like good. He’s working arduous 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 handled accidents since signing with the Clippers as a free agent in 2019.
Learn extra: Eradicated by Mavericks, Clippers have numerous offseason questions to handle
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 throughout the 2023 playoffs and now the knee irritation that’s impacting his taking part in 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 believe the blokes perceive we’re going to compete, we’re going to play arduous, 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 arduous 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 Instances.
