With Clippers training camp approaching, questions continue to swirl around the health of star Kawhi Leonard following the inflammation in his right knee that sidelined him late last season and in the first round of the playoffs.
Leonard is dealing with swelling but is progressing toward full health, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Tuesday.
At the start of last season, Leonard was the healthiest he had been in years and he appeared in 68 games. However, it was the third straight season he failed to finish, not counting the 2021-22 season, which he missed entirely.
Leonard has struggled with an extensive injury history during his Clippers tenure, including a partial tear of an anterior cruciate ligament that sidelined him for 2021-22, a meniscus tear during the 2023 playoffs and this current case of knee inflammation.
“It’s truly unfortunate that he’s had to deal with this, but we’re trending in the right direction,” Frank said. “The goal is to get him to 100% so he can have a great season, not just this year, but for many years.”
The team has developed a detailed plan to guide Leonard’s recovery that will focus on strengthening and gradually increasing the load on Leonard’s knee. While Frank said the swelling has significantly decreased, the Clippers plan to take a cautious approach and limit Leonard’s activity during training camp.
Leonard tried to return for the Olympic Games this summer but was sent home from Team USA camp.
“It’s almost gone,” Frank said of the swelling. “He wants to participate in everything during training camp, but we’re going to hold him back from drill work and really focus on strengthening.”
The question is whether Leonard will be ready for the season opener against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23 at Intuit Dome. Training camp opens Monday and the preseason opener is Oct. 5 against the Golden State Warriors in Hawaii.
Frank remained noncommittal about whether Leonard would be ready. He noted that the offseason has been dedicated to getting the six-time All-Star closer to full healthy and not rushing the process.
“The timing will depend on how his knee responds to each phase,” Frank said. “No one has a crystal ball. … I know he’s super determined to have a great year, but when it comes to your body and health, I don’t think you put time frames on it.”
Coach Tyronn Lue remains confident that Leonard eventually will return to full health but supports the cautious approach.
Read more: NBA schedule news: Clippers to open Intuit Dome on Oct. 23 against the Suns
“We’ve got to go step by step and make sure he’s checking all the boxes,” Lue said. “The medical staff will tell us when he’s ready to do everything and what he’s capable of. So our focus is on the guys practicing, making sure we’re doing it hard and doing it the right way. No shortcuts.”
In the event of Leonard’s absence, James Harden is expected to take on the role of primary offensive weapon, a scenario Lue planned for even when Leonard is available.
“More pick and rolls and scoring the basketball,” Lue said. “Taking more shots. He’s a dynamic playmaker also.”
With Paul George leaving for Philadelphia in free agency, the Clippers’ attack now revolves around a new one-two punch of Leonard and Harden.
“When you lose a player like PG, it’s always tough to try to replace that kind of player,” Lue said. “James and Kawhi will help us offensively. … Everybody else has got to fit around it to make sure that we have the right spacing, the right guys with the ball in our hands and making the right play.”
The Clippers’ offensive pecking order remains clear, which, according to Frank, has made things easier for the team. Harden, entering his first full season with the Clippers, has fully integrated himself after last year’s early season trade, which initially left him to play catch-up in learning his role in the offense and creating chemistry.
“It’s always hard when you get traded, and when you don’t go through a training camp, you can’t develop those bonds with the team,” Frank said. “He’s totally immersed himself with the team.”
There are rumblings and questions about whether this is a championship-caliber roster, and Frank didn’t shy away from acknowledging the outside noise. If they have a healthy Harden and Leonard, he’s confident that the moves they made to add depth and build a roster to complement them can enable them to compete in the Western Conference.
“I have the internet,” Frank said. “I’m not going to put a ceiling and say what we can and cannot be. … I’m not going to read too much into it, but I do like the chemistry and camaraderie of what I see. The biggest thing we have is opportunity.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.