Over the last four seasons, injuries have plagued the LA Clippers at the worst times. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both joined the team for the start of the 2019-20 season. Since then, the two all-stars have not been on the court as much as they were prior to playing for the Clippers. Recently, head coach Ty Lue told the media that he expects both George and Leonard to be ready for the start of the team’s training camp.
On SiriusXM NBA Radio, Tye Lue spoke with Frank Isola and former NBA player Brian Scalabrine. He told them that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were on the right track to being ready for training camp. George played in 56 games last season for the Clippers and missed all five of their playoff games with a sprained right knee.
That injury also caused him to miss the last few weeks of the 2022-23 regular season. Additionally, Leonard suffered a meniscus injury that caused him to miss the Clippers’ last three playoff games. He played in 52 games in the regular season. Ty Lue is hoping to have his two stars available for more games than they’ve played in the past.
Kawhi Leonard is expected to be ready for training camp https://t.co/eaRu3QUdEc
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 31, 2023
If Paul George and Kawhi Leonard stay healthy, the Clippers can be a real championship contender in the West
Since George and Leonard joined the Clippers in 2019-20, neither all-star has played over 57 games. Injuries have simply plagued their success as a team. The Clippers have survived in the regular season, but it’s hard to win in the playoffs without your two best players. In the 2021 postseason, LA made the Conference Finals.
Eight-time all-star Paul George played in all 19 games that postseason, averaging (26.9) points, (9.6) rebounds, (5.4) assists, and (1.0) steals. Kawhi Leonard played in 11 of 19 games for the Clippers. He suffered an ACL injury that put him on the sideline for the rest of the postseason. The Clippers failed to make the playoffs in 2022 and lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 postseason.
Ty Lue has admitted that it’s frustrating with all the injuries the team has dealt with. He’s had the full support of the owners and the front office, but the team has failed to produce on the court. It’s certainly not Lue’s fault. For the 2023-24 season, Lue is confident that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard will be on the court when they need them most. Clippers fans are hoping for the same. Their team has the potential to make noise in the postseason.
