Kawhi Leonard injury update: What was the injury that kept him out for nearly a month before returning against Detroit Pistons?

LA Clippers superstar forward Kawhi Leonard made his long-anticipated return from injury on Thursday night in the Clippers’ 96-91 win over the Detroit Pistons. Leonard had missed the Clippers' previous 12 games due to knee stiffness. He was also listed as questionable for Thursday before being cleared to play.

Leonard struggled offensively on his return, finishing with just six points, five rebounds and four assists on 2-for-8 shooting (25.0%). However, he still finished with a game-high plus-minus of +26.

Expand Tweet

The game marked Leonard’s third of the season and his first start. He had previously came off the bench in his first two games as part of workload management and to preserve his health. That comes after Leonard had missed the entirety of last season while recovering from right ACL knee surgery.

Leonard averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game on 44.4% shooting in his two games off the bench. However, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue did not want to try out that experiment again on Thursday night.

“That was too nasty. I didn’t like it. You have the best player (on the bench),” Lue said before the game.

The Clippers instead opted to go with a starting lineup of Reggie Jackson, Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr. and Ivica Zubac, in addition to Leonard. Jackson scored a team-high 23 points, while Zubac finished with nine points and a game-high 18 rebounds. Pistons sharpshooting forward Bojan Bogdanovic registered a game-high 26 points on the night.

Following the win, the Clippers improved to 9-7 on the season and ninth in the Western Conference. The Pistons, meanwhile, have lost their fifth straight game to slip to 3-13 and remain bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Kawhi Leonard on his return from injury

LA Clippers superstar forward Kawhi Leonard

Following his return from his knee injury against the Pistons, Kawhi Leonard briefly spoke about how he was feeling.

''It was good to be back. I felt good,'' Leonard said.

Leonard added that his ACL recovery is going to be a long process.

''It's going to be a long journey. ACL recovery isn't just one year. It's a two-year process,'' Leonard said.

Tyronn Lue also spoke about the impact of having Leonard back on the court.

''He looked pretty good as far as his movement,” Lue said. ''His impact defensively is huge for us. With him on the floor, we're a different team. It gives us a sense of calmness when he has the ball in his hand."

Through three games, Leonard is averaging 10.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game on 38.5% shooting in 22.3 minutes per game. Leonard’s next chance to suit up will be on Saturday night when the Clippers host the 6-10 San Antonio Spurs.