The Los Angeles Clippers have won 13 of their last 15 games and sit at the 5th seed in an extremely tight Western Conference. The Clippers have been under the radar most of this season due to Kawhi Leonard being sidelined for 34 games, but they are rolling and Leonard was just named the Conference Player of the Week.
After returning from injury in January and looking like he lost a step, Leonard turned it around and has been playing at a high-level for the last several weeks. This begs a very important question: Does Leonard have another deep playoff run in him?
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It’s not a question of his skill level, but a concern about his injury struggles. Leonard has become infamous in the basketball world for struggling to stay healthy, especially in the last five years. After recovering from a torn ACL, torn meniscus, tendinopathy and a number of other injuries, Leonard’s availability may be the Clippers’ biggest weakness heading into the playoffs.
Clippers guard James Harden certainly has his own injury history, but his injuries were less severe and he’s been more consistent this season.
Leonard seems to have the worst luck when it comes to health in the playoffs, but if he can truly stay healthy, the rest of the league may want to avoid a playoff matchup with one of the NBA’s hottest offenses.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
