“He is a two-time champion… This brother is also a champion at missing games” - Stephen A. Smith lambasts Kawhi Leonard for continuing to miss games

The LA Clippers have been cautious about Kawhi Leonard's return to the court. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith isn't too impressed with "The Klaw" continuing to miss games this season. Leonard hasn't played in two out of the four games for the team this season.

Leonard has come off the bench on both occasions due to minute restrictions, playing only 21 minutes on average. He missed the Clippers' last game against the OKC Thunder due to stiffness in his surgically repaired knee. LA lost the tie 108-94.

Stephen A. Smith was frustrated with Kawhi Leonard's extended absence. Smith ranted about the situation on ESPN's "First Take:"

"He's already missing games. He's only played two games into the season in a four-game season. This is utterly ridiculous.

"Last time I checked, Mr. Ballmer... This man is a multi-billionaire, worth tens of billions of dollars. Technology is on his side, resources are on his side... This is your guy, this is the star. And somehow, someway, we can't seem to get him on the court, we can't seem to get him healthy. But he still gets his money, though..."

Smith added:

"Kawhi Leonard is the PRO [at missing games]. He is a two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP and this brother is also a champion at missing games. Nobody does it better!"

Kawhi Leonard has missed over 20+ games each in his healthy seasons since the 2018-19 season. Leonard could also be considered the face of "load management," as the term got popularized during his time with the Toronto Raptors.

The LA Clippers may have to be extra careful with Leonard this season. He is coming off an ACL surgery. Considering Leonard's injury history, it is ideal for the Clippers to be cautious. The Clippers have the depth to get through the regular season in his absence, and their aim might be to get him in peak conditioning come playoff time.

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Kawhi Leonard wanted to play against OKC Thunder

Kawhi Leonard wanted to play in Tuesday's game against the OKC Thunder, despite facing stiffness in his surgically repaired knee. However, the team staff decided to hold him out of the contest as a precautionary measure. Here's what The Athletic's Law Murray wrote regarding this:

"League source tells @TheAthletic that Kawhi Leonard wanted to play tonight, despite knee stiffness. Leonard was not going to be scheduled to play Thursday. Staff decided to hold him out as a precaution."

Leonard has been in a decent rhythm to start the season. He missed the first night of a back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 22 and played against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23. The Clippers had a day's rest between that game and the previous game against the Thunder, which explains why he would've wanted to play.

However, it's still early days into the season, and the Clippers can afford to rest him during this initial phase. Kawhi Leonard will be well-rested before LA's next game against the Thunder on Thursday. He was initially scheduled to sit that game out, but after an extended break, the Clippers could play him.