Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard will not participate in drills at training camp next week as he recovers from knee inflammation that plagued him during last season’s playoffs.
Leonard played just two games in Los Angeles’ first-round series with the Dallas Mavericks, who prevailed 4-2 and eventually went on to reach the NBA Finals. The Athletic reported Tuesday that Leonard then underwent a knee procedure during the offseason.
Even though the swelling in Leonard’s knee has gone down “significantly,” according to Clippers president Lawrence Frank, the team is still unsure if the 33-year-old will be good to go for Los Angeles’ season opener against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23.
“I think that the timing’s all going to basically depend on how his knee responds to each phase,” Frank said. “No one has a crystal ball.”
For the time being, Leonard will be focusing on strength training.
“We’re just really going to focus on strengthening and loading,” Frank said. “I think we learned some lessons. Just if you think about it, he desperately wanted to come back and play in that Dallas series, and within a game and a half, the inflammation came where it wasn’t manageable, so we don’t want to put ourselves in that position.”
Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue is leaning on the Clippers’ medical staff for direction, and he has yet to figure out how Leonard is going to fit into team practices.
Before missing four games in the Dallas series, Leonard was on the shelf for Los Angeles’ final eight contests of the regular season.
Still, the Clippers are optimistic that Leonard will bounce back.
“I think the encouraging thing is we’ve seen progress,” Frank said. “This was a real tricky thing in terms of the inflammation. We’re kind of searching for answers along the way, and with time we continue to learn more about what works, what hasn’t. It’s truly unfortunate that he’s had to deal with this, but I think we’re definitely trending in the right direction.”
A two-time Defensive Player of the Year and six-time All-Star, Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 68 games (all starts) last season for Los Angeles.