Clippers Risk Running Kawhi Leonard Into the Ground With Massive Load

The LA Clippers are winning, but Kawhi Leonard's load may be unsustainable.

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The Los Angeles Clippers have given themselves a chance by winning five straight games to improve to 11-21 for the season. They have closed the gap between themselves and the tenth-seeded Blazers to 2.5 games, and should have a chance to climb further up the Western Conference standings.

While that is obviously a positive development, the Clippers are at risk of running Kawhi Leonard into the ground by putting way too much on his plate. Desperate to turn their season around, the Clippers have been overly reliant on James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. While Harden is more used to playing significant minutes and carrying a big offensive load, Leonard has rarely been asked to do so in the regular season. He has done an incredible job putting the Clippers on his shoulders in recent weeks, but the run he is currently on may not be sustainable in the long run.

Kawhi Leonard Is Carrying a Bigger Load Than Ever for the Clippers

Leonard averaged 36 minutes per game in December and had a usage rate of 32.6%. He has played over 40 minutes in a game three times and has played in back-to-back games. During the Clippers' five-game winning streak, he has played less than 36 minutes in a game only once, in Tuesday night's blowout win over the Sacramento Kings. Even in that game, he played 19:43 of the possible 24 first-half minutes. In fact, despite the Clippers leading by 29 entering the fourth quarter, Ty Lue played Leonard in the first five minutes of the quarter to ensure the game was out of reach.

The Clippers' depth is compromised after losing Bradley Beal and Chris Paul for the season, and Ivica Zubac for the next couple of weeks. Lue understandably feels like he doesn't have too many players he can trust on the roster. As a result, he wants to keep Leonard on the floor at all times, even if the Clippers have a seemingly comfortable lead.

Leonard is looking as healthy as ever, so this has not been an issue so far this season. At the same time, it's important to remember that he is 34 years old and has a history of breaking down after long stretches of playing extended minutes. Plus, Leonard recently said that he has had to evolve his game to be more aggressive because the team needs so much scoring from him. This requires even more effort and energy from Leonard, who already has the highest usage rate he has had in six seasons.

If Leonard can sustain this level of play without getting hurt, the Clippers will continue to win and make a run in the second half of the season. Clippers fans, however, have every right to be concerned about the long-term implications of the burden on Leonard's shoulders.