At 35-17, the LA Clippers are currently third in the Western Conference. Their core group of players has been playing at a high level in 2023-24. The Clippers have high expectations for the playoffs this season. On Monday, they lost 121-100 at home to the Timberwolves. After that game, all-star forward Kawhi Leonard reportedly was dealing with an injury.
The 32-year-old was ruled on Tuesday for LA’s game on Wednesday vs. the Warriors. Luckily, that is the Clippers’ last game before the all-star break. However, Leonard is an all-star this year and now is in danger of not being able to play this Sunday. He is dealing with a left hip adductor strain. It’s unknown just how much time Leonard will have to miss.
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard could miss the all-star game in Indianapolis this Sunday
Kawhi Leonard’s adductor strain injury came pretty out nowhere. He seemed pretty okay yesterday, and most of the guys didn’t know anything about it last night. Hopefully, he’s fine after some All-Star break rest.
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) February 14, 2024
Losing Kawhi Leonard is going to be a massive blow to LA’s starting five. He is averaging a team-leading (24.1) points and (1.7) steals per game in 2023-24. In the past injuries had kept the all-star forward off the court more than he would have liked. That was something Leonard was managing well before Monday night. He had only missed four games this season. A devastating loss for the Clippers at this point in the season.
On top of not playing for LA, Leonard could miss the all-star game this weekend due to a hip adductor injury. The Clippers won’t let him play if he needs to be resting. Additionally, the all-star break is the time that the 32-year-old needs to rest and recover before the second half of the season. It’s an honor to be chosen as an all-star, but Leonard and the Clippers need to think about their ultimate goal this season. Getting Leonard the rest he needs is crucial for their team’s success in 2023-24.
The fact that Kawhi Leonard is already ruled out (not even a questionable tag) suggests that it would be surprising for him to play in the All-Star Game. That injury takes several days to get over and I think he could be questionable at best for the OKC-Memphis back to back
— Law Murray ❤️🔥 (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 14, 2024
With Kawhi Leonard out, Paul George and James Harden will need to step up among the starters. The all-star break is coming at a perfect time for the Clippers. Leonard could miss the all-star games this weekend. That will give him roughly 8-9 days to rest and recover. LA would love for him to be ready to go for their first game back on 2/22 after the break. For now, there is no clear timetable on just how much time the all-star will miss.
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