Doc Rivers says Kawhi Leonard is on his way to Orlando
When the LA Clippers arrived at the bubble this week, there was some concern when they came without Kawhi Leonard. Those fears can be put to rest.
On a conference call with Sports Illustrated, Doc Rivers confirmed that Kawhi Leonard is on his way to Orlando, and that he'll arrive this evening.
According to Yahoo Sports, Leonard initially didn't travel with the team due to a family matter. There were speculations that it may have been because his daughter's birthday is during the first week of July. Regardless, the Clippers' leader is now on his way.
Rivers also confirmed that the team will only bring 15 players on their roster. So the two additional two-way players of Johnathan Motley and Amir Coffey will not be coming to the bubble.
The last two remaining pieces of the squad to arrive for the Clippers are JaMychal Green and Landry Shamet. According to Andrew Greif of the LA Times, Green is expected to arrive on Sunday, as he's dealing with a family matter. Landry Shamet still has at least a week away from arriving, due to testing positive for COVID-19.
The Clippers seem to be one of the few teams that really took this time off to their advantage. They've adopted the mantra "win the wait" for this moment. Players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have especially benefitted from the time off, so they could rehab their injuries. As the pieces align in Orlando, the moment is finally coming.
In twenty days the LA Clippers begin their quest for the franchise championship in history. This is ground zero.
