New Hope for the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard Returning

Former six-time all-star Kawhi Leonard is set to return to the Clippers lineup, making his season debut against the Atlanta Hawks later tonight. Having missed the first 34 games of the season, Leonard will be eager to make an impact for the team as he returns from another knee injury. Time spent on the sidelines is nothing new to Leonard, unfortunately, as he missed the entire 2021-22 campaign due to an ACL tear and has not played over 70 games in a season since 2016-17. With that being said, a now healthy Leonard brings new hope to a Los Angeles Clippers team that is doing everything they can to remain contenders in the Western Conference.

When healthy, Kawhi Leonard is one of the premier forwards in today's NBA. Having finished in the top 10 in MVP voting on five different occasions, Leonard has been exceeding expectations since his debut for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2011-12 season. The former two-time Defensive Player of the Year brings defensive tenacity on the floor every night, paired with an offensive efficiency that makes him one of the top two-way players in the game. His return is vital to the success of the Clippers, who have been holding their own in his absence thanks to a breakout season from Norman Powell, double-double performances from Ivica Zubac, and James Harden, who is scoring 21 points per game to go along with six rebounds and seven assists. As it stands, the Clippers sit in seventh place in the Western Conference but trail the fourth-seed Los Angeles Lakers by only one game. Furthermore, with 48 games remaining in the regular season, the Clippers trail the second-seed Memphis Grizzlies by only three and a half games. Considering the caliber of player that Kawhi Leonard is, this small gap from seed seven to the second seed could be easily bridged if the team stays healthy.

Winning 19 of 34 games without Leonard, marking a .559 win percentage, the Clippers have certainly performed better than expectations in his absence. Now, with Leonard returning, the team is in prime position to rise up the Western Conference standings. A pair of Leonard and Harden could prove to be deadly in the postseason due to their skills and experience, as each player has played in over 135 playoff games. Kawhi himself has two NBA Finals MVP awards to his name as well, including the 2019 title, which he won in Toronto with current teammate Norman Powell. Regardless of how successful Kawhi Leonard performs in his return to the lineup, the Clippers will remain in the thick of the conference standings, however, if Leonard can return to MVP-caliber form, the team could have their sights set on something more than just the seventh seed.