SUMMARY
- Kawhi Leonard has been dealing with knee inflammation since before the end of the regular season.
- The 2x NBA Champion has missed two games in the playoffs.
Even though Kawhi Leonard wasn’t available for Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks, the LA Clippers managed to secure a huge victory. LA has now tied the series to two games each with a chance of pushing it to Games 6 or 7. But this is supposed to be an advantage in having a superteam compete in the playoffs. When one star goes down, the other stars fill in for them, just like James Harden and Paul George did.
James Harden scored 15 4th quarter points in the win!
Harden This series
28 PTS, 8 AST, 6 3PT, 1 TO
22 PTS, 8 AST, 1 TO
21 PTS, 5 AST, 5 3PT (54% FG)
33 PTS, 7 AST, 4 3PT (70% FG)pic.twitter.com/wBr9N5NvN7— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 28, 2024
Harden had one of his best games of the season finishing with 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists along with a steal and block. The Clippers held a huge 30-point lead against the Mavericks which was eventually overcome. But Harden’s ability to drive in and draw fouls easily allowed the Clippers to regain the lead and win it. Paul George also had 33 points paired with 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals.
Shaquille O’Neal claims the Clippers should prioritize Kawhi Leonard less
Kawhi Leonard took a while to get himself to play the leader’s role. However, that was only possible after he left the San Antonio Spurs in 2018. Leonard was mostly treated as a second option or a role player. Injuries became a huge reason why the Spurs traded him as well. Shaquille O’Neal suggested that the Clippers treat Leonard as their lead role player while giving heavier duties to Harden and George.
During a live taping of Inside the NBA, O’Neal said, “The stage has been set. When PG and James play well, they’re very tough to beat. Even though they got a 30-point, they let it slip away because those guys had a little flow, had a little rhythm to them. They had no panic in the game.” Shaq added, “If he comes back, you don’t defer to him. You say, ‘You know what? You gotta go back to your Spurs days buddy. You gotta be a role player. We’re going to do what we do.’”
Kawhi has missed two games in the series and both games resulted in wins over the Mavericks. Before the post-season missed the Clippers’ final eight games. “Listen, the games have shown when PG and Harden play like they’re playing, they’re winning games. So if he does come back, [you say], ‘Hey, follow us and you know, if we need you for last-second shots, you can do that. But we are not going to defer to you if you come back,’” O’Neal concluded. Leonard missed 14 games this season including the final eight Clippers games. He has been dealing with knee inflammation since then.
The Clippers give a saddening update on Kawhi Leonard’s return
While the Clippers seem like they can handle all the burden, a recent update on Kawhi Leonard’s availability caused widespread concern among fans and experts. Ahead of Game 4, Tyronn Lue said, “We’ve played without Kawhi before. We can’t hang our heads. We understand what it takes, what we have to do, how we need to play, the blueprint. And we prepared for both situations. Just thank Kawhi for trying to get out there and trying to do what he can.”
Kawhi Leonard’s last 4 seasons in 4 photos. pic.twitter.com/2W8gWGFyGw
— CLIPSET🔥✂️ (@PrimeLAC_) April 28, 2024
Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president also weighed in on Leonard’s injury saying, “When you watch him play, it was very obvious that is not Kawhi Leonard.” In the two games that he appeared in during the series, Leonard averaged 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. During his championship season, Leonard put up 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. The Clippers still haven’t seen him at his peak form in the playoffs as there has always been some sort of ailment or the other.