Clippers still don't have a time frame for Kawhi Leonard's return

Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times on Dec 7, 2024

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LOS ANGELES — In the distance away from where the media was conducting interviews after the Clippers practice on Saturday, Kawhi Leonard was doing rehab work and eventually shooting on the court.

Leonard was working with a medicine ball, doing drills for his recovery process from a right knee injury that has kept him out all season. He jumped rope before shooting.

All of this work is an attempt to get Leonard playing again for the Clippers.

Still, the biggest question is when will Leonard be playing again?

That put Clippers coach Tyronn Lue in the position of having to again answer questions about his star and mostly about a report that said Leonard would be back before Christmas.

“I don’t know,” Lue said. “I don’t know.”

Lue paused for a moment and asked:

“Who said that?”

He was told a reporter put that out there.

Lue was asked will Leonard be back during that stated time frame?

“I don’t know,” Lue said.

What Lue does know is that Norman Powell (left hamstring) and Kevin Porter Jr. (left ankle) will play Sunday night against the Houston Rockets at Intuit Dome while James Harden is questionable because of some soreness in his right groin.

Lue did say that Leonard has been on the court shooting and “going through some plays.”

“Just doing all the things he’s supposed to. … He’s got to check all the boxes and do all the right things, not skip any steps,” Lue said. “So, when he completes that, then we’ll move on.”

Lue didn’t say how many “boxes” Leonard had to cross out before he could play.

“Get 100 percent. I’m not a medical [doctor]. I don’t know,” Lue said. “I’m not in there lifting and doing all that. He’s out. He’s getting better. He’s on the floor, he’s doing stuff, but he’s not ready to play.”

The Clippers play three games in the next 14 days. That will give them more practice and allow more time for Leonard to possibly work out with the team and to keep checking those boxes.

“So, it’s actually really good for us, take advantage of it, get better,” Lue said. “The time, and hopefully get Kawhi back one of these days.

“We know when Kawhi comes back, he’s a defensive-minded guy who can guard the basketball and guard five different positions, so for him coming into what we’re doing here shouldn’t be a hard thing to get involved.”

Lue admitted that because Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones are such top-notched defenders that when Leonard does return he won’t have to defend the top players right away and can ease his way back into game condition.

“It’s very impactful because now he can focus in on scoring the basketball, not getting tired and when he comes back, what kind of shape is he going to be in,” Lue said. “So, to have guys that can defend and do things, do the dirty work for Kawhi until he’s able to get to himself, I think it helps out a lot.”