Clippers Injury Report vs. Pelicans: Is Kawhi Leonard Playing?

The Los Angeles Clippers are entering a brutal schedule in March, set to play a whopping 18 games. This includes four sets of back-to-backs and no consecutive days of rest. For a team desperate to climb up the Western Conference standings, this stretch will make or break their season.

Fortunately, their first game comes against the 19-42 New Orleans Pelicans. Even though the Pels have won four straight and are playing their best basketball of the season, they will be on the second night of a back-to-back, traveling to LA after defeating the Jazz in Utah on Saturday. Plus, they are unlikely to have Zion Williamson, who sprained his ankle last night, and Trey Murphy, who has been out since the All-Star break with a shoulder contusion.

The Clippers will be without Darius Garland, and John Collins remains questionable with head and neck injuries, but they will have Kawhi Leonard fully healthy. The 34-year-old superstar has missed LA's game against the Timberwolves on Thursday with an ankle injury.

Kawhi Leonard Off the Clippers Injury Report Ahead of Sunday's Clash vs. Pelicans

Leonard has been dealing with a lingering ankle soreness ever since returning from the All-Star break. He hasn't played more than 33 minutes in any game since then and has consistently been on the injury report with a questionable tag. The fact that he was off the injury report a day in advance of Sunday's game is a great sign in his recovery.

This is likely a result of the Clippers giving Leonard additional rest to get his ankle healthy. Leonard hasn't played since last Sunday against the Magic. Missing the Minnesota game allowed the star forward a week of rest and recovery before embarking on a crucial schedule in March.

Whether Leonard will be on a minutes restriction, however, remains to be seen. Ty Lue has been intentional about keeping Leonard's workload down in recent weeks. With how limited the Clippers are, especially on the offensive end, this is not a very easy task for the coaching staff. Leonard played over 35 minutes only once January 9th, and we should expect that to continue, especially with the Clippers playing on the second night of a back-to-back against the Warriors on Monday.

Garland is expected to be back for that game, giving Leonard another high-usage offensive player to take some of the shot creation burden. Hopefully, this will allow Leonard to stay healthy for the rest of the season as the Clippers go on a run to climb up in the playoff race.