Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, league sources report. the athlete. Here’s what you need to know:
- Leonard missed the final three games of Los Angeles’ first-round loss to Phoenix.
- In the first two games, he averaged 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 40 minutes per game.
- Leonard injured the same knee in the 2021 playoffs and later had it surgically repaired, costing him the 2021-22 season.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, according to sources @employee @stadium. Leonard averaged 35 points in the first two games of the season against the Suns before it was revealed that he had a meniscus injury and was sealed by medical staff.
– Shams Charania April 26, 2023
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What does this mean for clippers?
Leonard waited two years to return to the NBA after he underwent surgery to repair a partial tear in his right anterior cruciate ligament that he suffered in the 2021 postseason causing him to miss the entire 2021-22 season. Seeing Leonard deal with another serious knee injury is disheartening, to say the least.
Of course, others said more than less. The fact that anyone would expect Leonard, who also dealt with quadriceps tendinopathy, to play through this type of injury is ridiculous. Paul George, who is dealing with his right knee injury, said those who thought Leonard was sitting out were “attacking his character” while echoing the team’s explanation that Leonard was injured in Game 1 of the Series and played through the injury in Game 2.
The Clippers have a history of not saying much about the severity of Leonard’s injuries until after the postseason. A sprained knee injury two years ago revealed to be a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) which required surgery. Now, Leonard’s “twisted right knee” is the type of injury that normally requires a procedure that takes months to heal from.
The best case scenario is that Leonard will be ready to resume basketball activities in 1-2 months, allowing him to spend most of the summer preparing for the next season. But there will again be questions about his readiness to play going into the 2023-24 season as his knee responds to any appropriate treatment. – Murray
the background
After winning Game 1 behind Leonard’s 38 points, the Clippers Suns battled competitively in Game 2 with 31 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Without Leonard in the last three games, Los Angeles had no answers for Phoenix stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, who averaged 37.2 and 28.4 points per game in the series.
Leonard, 31, played 50 games in 2022-23 as he slowly made his comeback from a right knee injury he suffered in July 2021 during the Western Conference Semifinals.
Clippers co-star George missed the first round with a knee injury. He sprained his right knee in March.
George also missed 43 games in 2021-22 due to an elbow injury. Without the two stars for most of the season, the Clippers went 42-40.
Leonard hasn’t played in more than 60 games in a season since 2016-17. He will enter the third year of his four-year contract in 2023-24, and holds a $48 million player option for 2024-25.
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(Photo: Mark J. Rebellas/USA Today)