The Los Angeles Clippers face off against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night in a marquee matchup between two Western Conference sides with championship aspirations this season. Unfortunately for LA, they will once again be without superstar forward Kawhi Leonard as the 32-year-old continues to nurse a nagging knee injury.
Leonard last saw action on March 31, and he has since been sidelined by an inflamed right knee. With just three games remaining in the regular season for the Clippers, there is now growing concern surrounding Kawhi’s availability for the upcoming NBA Playoffs.
Los Angeles Clippers News: Tyronn Lue Speaks Out on Kawhi Leonard’s Injury
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue spoke to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Phoenix. Beat reporter Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints asked Lue if there was any concern about Leonard potentially being unavailable for the postseason, which prompted a cryptic response from the LA shot-caller:
“No, not right now,” Lue said.
It’s good to hear that the Clippers aren’t worried about Leonard’s injury absence bleeding into the playoffs, but this update from Lue isn’t very reassuring.
The fact that Coach Lue said “not right now” seems to imply that this outlook towards Leonard’s knee problem could change in the coming days.
The playoffs will start in 10 days, and if you think about it, this should give Leonard enough time to heal up. However, he is set to miss his sixth straight game on Wednesday so fitness could be a concern if he ends up sitting out LA’s last three remaining games of the regular season.
This is certainly a situation that will be worth monitoring as Leonard’s health could very well determine the Clippers’ fate in the postseason.
