"Kawhi Leonard is the player face for load management, this pisses me off" - NBA analyst rages over Clippers for starting Kawhi Leonard off the bench using load management as an excuse

Kawhi Leonard has not played in a meaningful game since tearing his ACL during the 2021 NBA playoffs. Set to return to action in the LA Clippers' season opener, Leonard is expected to come off the bench to begin the season. NBA analyst Rick Kamla fumed over Leonard's continued load management.

On Sirius XM NBA, Kamla said:

"The player face for load management is Kawhi Leonard. A couple of years ago, taking some games off, the NBA was pissed. They made the Clippers send them the medicals on Kawhi Leonard. They created a new rule that basically said you can't just rest dudes, you gotta at least make up an injury.

"So, Kawhi Leonard is the player face for load management. Yes, this pisses me off, and, yes, I can go with the flow with a lot of load management. I understand January, February, March, you're going to make a playoff run, I get rest games.

"This, I don't get. ... Are you freaking kidding me? This guy has not played in 785 days, whatever that number is, it's a h**l of a big number between the last time he played and this. This is a joke, this is an absolute joke.

"Play him 30 minutes, don't play him in back-to-backs. All that kinda stuff still pisses me off. But bring him off the bench to manage his minutes when he's had 800 days off, this pisses me off."

The news that Leonard will be coming off the bench to begin the season comes as a shock. While the Clippers may feel the need to manage his minutes as he returns from injury, whether he starts or comes off the bench doesn't have much of an effect on his playing time.

Can Kawhi Leonard lead the Clippers to a title?

Upon acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the expectation was that the LA Clippers would be perennial title contenders. In the first three seasons with the star duo, that has not been the case.

The Clippers have battled injuries with Leonard and George playing just 109 and 133 games, respectively, over that stretch. They will enter this season, once again, expected to compete for a title, as they have considerable depth behind their two stars.

Despite their depth, in order to compete for the championship, the Clippers will need their two stars to stay healthy. As this has not been the case during their tenure in Los Angeles, Leonard and George will need to prove their durability.