Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers’ All-Star player, will miss Sunday’s playoff Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks due to knee inflammation, according to head coach Tyronn Lue. Leonard has been dealing with the injury since March 31 and missed the team’s final eight regular-season games. Despite President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank’s hopes, the inflammation in Leonard’s knee needs more time to reduce for him to return to action.
Reports suggest that Leonard received an injection in his knee early April to expedite his return to the court for the playoffs. The Clippers face a significant challenge against the Mavericks without Leonard in the postseason. In a season where he played 68 games and made his sixth All-Star team while helping the Clippers secure a fourth-place finish in the Western Conference with a 51-31 record, Leonard is a dynamic offensive threat and exceptional defender capable of dominating games when healthy. However, injuries have been a constant concern for him throughout his career, particularly since joining the Clippers in 2019. Before this season, he had struggled to stay on the court, playing in no more than 57 games in a single season with the Clippers and missing the entire 2021-22 campaign due to a torn ACL.
