Injury Update: Kawhi Leonard Has 'No Timetable' For Return

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LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has played just two games this season after returning on opening night from an ACL tear that was suffered in the 2021 playoffs. After missing the entire 2021-22 season, Leonard came back for just two games, and has been sidelined since. The team is being very vague about the nature of his injury, still listing his absence as "injury management."
From the updates that have been given so far, the current indication is that Leonard is feeling tightness in his surgically repaired knee. While some of this is to be expected for a player returning from an ACL tear, this is certainly beyond what the Clippers anticipated, as Leonard has played in just two of the team's first nine games.
When asked before Sunday night's game for an update on Leonard, head coach Ty Lue said he is progressing well, but there is no timetable for his return. Lue had previously said the team was taking it game by game, so it sounds like that will continue to be the approach.
The Clippers of course want their star forward back, but they will continue to be cautious with him. Focused on preserving his longterm health, the team will not rush Leonard. It is now a waiting game for the team, as they are unable to commit to any timetable.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.
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