When he can stay on the floor, Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the world. Except that the first part of this sentence matters, because since he was with the Clippers, the winger has missed a lot of matches, thus creating frustration for him, for the franchise but also for the fans.
Injured cruciate ligaments in his right knee in July 2021, he missed the entire 2021/22 season. Last season, he only played 52 games before being hampered by another meniscus injury in the playoffs.
It’s difficult to be optimistic for the former Toronto player, continually stuck in the infirmary, and always at the worst time to boot. But for the first time in years, Kawhi Leonard is in great shape for training camp and to start the regular season.
“I feel good and I’m ready to go,” affirms the MVP of the 2014 and 2019 Finals at ESPN. “Last season, I was coming off a cruciate ligament injury, so it takes two years to fully come back. I’ve spoken to players who have experienced this. We feel that it is coming back, that one day it will work in our favor, in terms of sensations and confidence in our knee. Yes, I feel good. »
Tyronne Lue will finally be able to let the horses go from the start
The 2023 playoffs allowed us to see Kawhi Leonard in great shape. Against the Suns, during the first two matches of the series, he averaged 34.5 points with 54% shooting success and 60% 3-point shooting. The rest is known: his meniscus creaks and he won’t play again…
“I wasn’t thinking about my performances or my statistics, I was mainly thinking about how my body felt. I was trying to manage the ups and downs and be healthy. I was able to show other players and myself that I could play at a high level,” remembers the former Spurs on the management of his last season. “I knew the numbers would come next, but it wasn’t my priority at the time. I just wanted to win matches. »
Having a Kawhi Leonard in great shape is a natural change for Tyronn Lue and the Clippers. Especially at this time of the season. The former Cavaliers coach, since his arrival in California in 2020, has never been able to let go of the horses with his star from the first matches. He will finally be able to do it this fall.
“It’s different when you have restrictions. We can’t play completely and do what we want.” regrets the 2016 champion. ” Him, Paul George and Russell Westbrook set the tone at the start of training camp, physically, without complaint. We want to start the season well and not start it slowly. »
| Kawhi Leonard | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2011-12 | SAN | 64 | 24 | 49.3 | 37.6 | 77.3 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 5.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 7.9 |
| 2012-13 | SAN | 58 | 31 | 49.4 | 37.4 | 82.5 | 1.1 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 11.9 |
| 2013-14 | SAN | 66 | 29 | 52.2 | 37.9 | 80.2 | 1.2 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 12.8 |
| 2014-15 | SAN | 64 | 32 | 47.9 | 34.9 | 80.2 | 1.3 | 5.9 | 7.2 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 16.5 |
| 2015-16 | SAN | 72 | 33 | 50.6 | 44.3 | 87.4 | 1.3 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 21.2 |
| 2016-17 | SAN | 74 | 33 | 48.5 | 38.0 | 88.0 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 5.8 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 25.5 |
| 2017-18 | SAN | 9 | 23 | 46.8 | 31.4 | 81.6 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 16.2 |
| 2018-19 | TOR | 60 | 34 | 49.6 | 37.1 | 85.4 | 1.3 | 6.0 | 7.3 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 26.6 |
| 2019-20 | LAKE | 57 | 32 | 47.0 | 37.8 | 88.6 | 1.0 | 6.1 | 7.1 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 27.1 |
| 2020-21 | LAKE | 52 | 34 | 51.2 | 39.8 | 88.5 | 1.1 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 24.9 |
| 2022-23 | LAKE | 52 | 34 | 51.2 | 41.6 | 87.1 | 1.1 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 23.8 |
| Total | 628 | 32 | 49.5 | 38.7 | 85.9 | 1.2 | 5.2 | 6.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 19.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
