Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Out Indefinitely Amid ACL Recovery
The star forward only has played in two games so far this season.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said forward Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely as the team continues to exercise caution with its star forward while he works his way back from reconstructive knee surgery.
“He’s progressing and he’s getting better, so that’s the most important thing,” Lue said, per the Associated Press. “There’s really not a timeframe of when he’s going to be back.”
Leonard underwent surgery to repair a partial tear in the ACL in his right knee in July 2021 and missed the entire 2021-22 season. He played in two of the Clippers’ first three games of this season, but he hasn’t taken the court since Oct. 23. In those two games, a win over the Lakers and a loss to the Suns, he averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 assists.
“We knew coming off an ACL it wasn’t going to be a straight line. We talked about it before the season,” Lue said before Sunday’s game against the Jazz, per the AP. “The biggest thing is he’s progressing well. We’re just going to follow the lead of our medical staff. We got to be smart about the situation.”
Lue said Leonard has been working out on his own, including when the Clippers traveled to Texas for two games last week. The team said Leonard recently experienced stiffness in the knee but hasn’t suffered a setback in his recovery.
Leonard, a five-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP, has averaged 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game over the course of his career.
The Clippers (5-5) play host to the Cavaliers on Monday night at 10:30 p.m. ET.
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