On November 3rd, against the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard twisted his ankle and has not played since.
The 2x Finals MVP has dealt with a ton of injuries over the course of his Hall of Fame career. Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawerence Frank provided yet another concerning update regarding Leonard’s ankle injury, telling ESPN, “It wasn’t just an ankle sprain, Kawhi also had a significant sprain in his foot, as well. When he sprained his ankle, it kind of triggered a mechanism in his foot.”
The good news is Kawhi will travel with the team on their upcoming East Coast road trip this week. Frank is hopeful Kawhi will receive a more positive injury update when he is re-evaluated next week.
Los Angeles Clippers Need Kawhi Leonard Back ASAP
The Clippers desperately need their superstar to return. Despite the media once again crowning the Clippers champions this offseason with no evidence, the Clippers are off to an abysmal 3-8 to start the year.
Even worse, the washed-up veterans the Clippers signed this offseason have been a complete disaster. Despite having a productive season last year with the San Antonio Spurs, 40-year-old Chris Paul has not been able to crack the rotation in his return to the Clippers, receiving his 3rd consecutive DNP due to a coach’s decision. The Clippers also acquired Bradley Beal, who will be out for the season with a hip fracture.
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To make matters worse, the Clippers will not control their own first-round pick as part of the deal to trade 5 first-round picks, along with the reigning Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander, to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George, who is no longer on the team. The Clippers, therefore, cannot tank for a higher draft pick in this year’s loaded 2026 NBA draft class.
The Clippers have been struggling mightily defensively without the former Defensive Player of the Year. In front of a half-empty Intuit Dome, Nikola Jokić scored 25 points in the first quarter on the way to a blowout victory where he finished with 55 points and 12 rebounds in a playoff rematch of last year, in which the Nuggets blew out the Clippers in Game 7.
The Clippers are a complete disaster with no first-round picks, 1 semifinal appearance in team history, no fans, and no positive outlook on their future despite spending $2 billion on a brand new arena.
The Clippers desperately will need Kawhi to return very soon in order to salvage whatever is left of this season, or else this will be another lost year in the Kawhi Leonard era.
Despite all the hype, money, and cheating this organization has done under Steve Ballmer, the Los Angeles Clippers are still further away than ever from making a real run at an NBA championship.