The NBA season is in full swing, and some teams are approaching the 20-game mark. For the Los Angeles Clippers, they played their 18th game of the season Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Clippers have been playing some great basketball, and this is all without their superstar forward, Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has yet to play this season, and with the Clippers playing their 18th game, that makes Leonard ineligible for any NBA awards this season.
This means that Leonard will not be eligible to win MVP or make an All-NBA team, All-Star team, or All-Defensive team. Leonard may not have ever won an MVP, with his best chance coming in the 2016-17 season, but he has made six All-NBA teams and seven All-Defensive teams.
Leonard has also been named to six All-Stars teams; however, he will not make the All-Star team for the third time in four seasons.
Leonard is out due to knee inflammation, and a timetable for his return has not been announced. A month ago, before the start of the season, the Clippers announced that he would be sidelined indefinitely to begin the NBA season as he rehabilitates from inflammation in his right knee.
The latest update on Leonard is that he was shooting a little bit but has not yet practiced with the team. As things stand, Leonard did travel with the team on their current four-game road trip that started against the 76ers.
Unfortunately, the injury bug is nothing new for the Clippers star. Since signing with them in the summer of 2019, Leonard has appeared in 229 regular-season games. He has been limited to just 28 playoff games.
Leonard's time as a Clipper has become filled with ups and downs. His availability is always in question, but when he is on the court, he is among the best players in the league.
In four playing seasons in Los Angeles, he has averaged 24.8 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three in 229 games and 227 starts in 33.6 minutes per game.
Leonard has panned out a Hall of Fame-type career for himself, but it's unclear how long he could and would play, considering his long list of lower body injuries.
Nonetheless, Leonard and the Clippers' biggest worry is when he will be back on the court this season. At this point, that's still a mystery.
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