The Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer will finally open up their 2024-25 season next Wednesday the 23rd in their own arena, “INTUIT DOME” against Phoenix on ESPN. This much anticipated arena was built to help get out of the shadows of the Lakers, so there will be much excitement heading into opening night in Inglewood, CA.
Unfortunately, a familiar name won’t be on the court again for head coach Ty Lue, and that’s two-time champion and Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
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According to senior NBA Shams Charania, “Leonard is expected to miss indefinite time to start the 2024-25 NBA season – as he and the team rehab his right knee,” something unfortunately that has been too familiar over the last 3 seasons.
Sure, he played in 68 games last season the most he has played since the 2016-17 season, but all that was overlooked because he was only able to play in two of the Clippers six playoff games against Dallas in their first round loss and hasn’t been able to finish their last three playoff appearances.
This is a terrible sign because he has had approximately six months to rehab his knee once he did not participate in the Olympics in Paris, and still, he is not going to be available.
Related: Kawhi Leonard is still taking it “day-by-day”
When situations like this came about coach Lue had Paul George to lean on and help this team tread water, but George is now in Philadelphia and James Harden the 10x All-Star will have to try to carry this team as the No.1 option for the first time since his days in Houston.
Leonard has missed a total of 179 games out of 435 since coming to LA back in 2019.
Former NBA champion and now analyst Kendrick Perkins said on the ‘NBA Today,’ that “he (Leonard) should consider retiring.”
He has not played in any of the four preseason games or participated in any of the practices leading up the regular season.
“He has not been a part of what we’ve been doing on a daily basis,” Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw said after Wednesday’s practice. “I know the company line has been that we’re going to be patient with him, so he’s doing everything that he can to rehab it and strengthen that knee on his own with our medical staff. And we’re just dealing with the guys that we have [available].”
This is a long 82-game season for all 30 teams, but even longer for a team like the Clippers who don’t have any idea when their superstar will suit up.
Chrys Henderson is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him on X @ChrysNBA.
