“He’ll miss six straight games…He’s frustrated” – NBA analyst predicts a comeback for Kawhi Leonard around playoffs, Clippers struggling with their packed schedule  

The LA Clippers are are expected to be contenders in the Western Conference. The early optimism is built on having coach Tyrone Lue, who won a championship before, and two All-Stars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The problem the Clippers (3-4) are running into is that one half of that superstar tandem cannot be relied upon to be in the lineup. As the old saying goes “the best ability is availability,” and unfortunately for the Clippers, Kawhi is not available much. This has not been anything new for Leonard during his career.

Kawhi missed all of last season due to an ACL injury and has only appeared in two of the team's seven games this season. Per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, who covers the Clippers, Leonard did not travel with the team to Houston and is slated to miss the next six games.

"He wants to play. But the Clippers are erring on the absolute side of caution," Ohm Youngmisuk said.

The Clippers are keeping Kawhi out of Wednesday night's game at the Houston Rockets and want to make sure they have him healthy by the end of the season.

---

Kawhi Leonard struggling with injury

Injuries have been an issue with Kawhi Leonard throughout his career. His time with the San Antonio Spurs ended due to him not being available. There were discrepancies between him and the team on how badly he was injured. That created a rift between the player and the franchise that never got resolved.

Leonard has never played 82 games during a season during his 12 years in the league. He has only played more than 64 games twice.

When healthy, he is one of the NBA's best two-way players. He is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time NBA Finals MVP and five-time All-NBA selection.

---

Clippers managing to win without Kawhi Leonard

Last season, without Leonard, the team finished 42-40 and got beat during the play-in tournament. The team has shown the ability to win without their best player. Paul George has proven to be a capable No. 1 option if Leonard is not available.

During the 2020-21 season, Leonard was injured during the playoffs, midway through the second round. George carried the Clippers to a series win over the Utah Jazz and guided the team against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals. The Clippers ultimately lost in six games, but George showed that he could shoulder the load.

The team added more depth in the offseason by signing former All-Star John Wall. With Wall and Jackson at the guards to support George, the team should be able to push themselves into the playoffs. They also have an experienced team and coach who have been around and understand that others will have to step up.