Kawhi Leonard has missed the last eight games in the regular season for the Clippers, but this has been by far his healthiest year in terms of starts. The two-time NBA Finals MVP played 68 games this season, the most he has played since the 2016-17 season.
Leonard’s right knee has been a problem for him as he went through meniscus surgery and torn ACL in 2021 and 2020 respectively. Now he is suffering from an inflammation in the same knee and things don’t look too good ahead of the play-offs. Recently, Chris Broussard of Fox Sports provided an update regarding this.
“I was in contact with someone in the know, and they said they are concerned,” said the analyst on First Things First. He further added that the forward is not practicing with the team as he has a lot of swelling in his right knee.
With no further update from the Clippers regarding Leonard’s injury, it is a worrying time for the franchise and their fans ahead of the play-offs showdown with the Dallas Mavericks later this week. While Kawhi Leonard’s NBA season is in jeopardy, his future for the Paris Olympics looks rather optimistic as team USA is gearing up for the summer event.
Kawhi Leonard favorite to claim last spot in USA basketball team
The USA men’s basketball team is reportedly finalizing the squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics. While the squad features the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and more, Kawhi Leonard has been snubbed, but that’s not the end of it.
According to The Athletic, Kawhi Leonard is favorite to be the 12th man on the roster as of now. Since all the teams are permitted to take twelve players to the tournament, the Clippers number 2 emerged as the leading candidate to fill the final spot. Jalen Brunson, Paul George, Mikal Bridges and Paolo Banchero are the other candidates for the 12th spot.
For Leonard, this could be a massive chance to fulfill his team USA ambition, but for now all eyes lead to the NBA play-offs. With the all-important first round post-season game days away, the Clippers can only hope to get Leonard back on the team as the franchise is chasing their first ever NBA Championship.
