The latest Kawhi Leonard knee issue

[Street Hunger]

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will miss his 4th game in a row for treatment and recovery on his right knee.

What do you think of Kawhi's health situation and how reliable he is at this point in his career?

[Real Men Wear Green]

They're being cautious. They haven't clinched yet but everyone behind them isn't going to catch them so it's the right thing to do.

[tpols]

They're saving him for the playoffs. Clippers are a scary team. If healthy I feel like they're stronger than OKC and Minnesota.

[SouBeachTalents]

Kawhi is VERY reliable health wise, what a dumb question.

[Jasper]

ape man will come back in playoffs and give one of his choke 4th qtrs while Harden will do the other 3 qtrs

[BarberSchool]

Dallas can overtake them at the 4, within these last few games, especially WITHOUT HARDEN AND KAWHI.

[90sgoat]

Dallas can overtake them at the 4, within these last few games, especially WITHOUT HARDEN AND KAWHI.

To win home court advantage?

[BarberSchool]

They're being cautious. They haven't clinched yet but everyone behind them isn't going to catch them so it's the right thing to do.

Only team who might pass them into 4th seed is 5th seed Dallas, who will probably beat them in the series regardless of who has home court.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Only team who might pass them into 4th seed is 5th seed Dallas, who will probably beat them in the series regardless of who has home court.

It depends on Leonard and George being healthy. With those two they are as well equipped as anyone in the West to both defend Doncic as well as attack him on the other end. But if this knee issue is serious they're domed and counting on those two being healthy has screwed the Clippers consistently.

[BarberSchool]

It depends on Leonard and George being healthy. With those two they are as well equipped as anyone in the West to both defend Doncic as well as attack him on the other end. But if this knee issue is serious they're domed and counting on those two being healthy has screwed the Clippers consistently.

Brooks is the best individual defender at guarding Doncic in 2024 IMHO. Luka has had 5 40+ games against the clippers in the playoffs already, and that was against younger/healthier versions of PG&Kawhi. We’re likely gonna get at least 1 or 2 more 40+ Luka explosions in this upcoming series against the current, not 100% versions of those two …. unless they double high/early ALL SERIES, and hope kyrie and Exum and Josh green don’t pick them apart and slash well, in 4-on-3 and 3-on-2 scenarios, which is probably exactly what Dallas has them working on right now.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Brooks is the best individual defender at guarding Doncic in 2024 IMHO. Luka has had 5 40+ games against the clippers in the playoffs already, and that was against younger/healthier versions of PG&Kawhi. We’re likely gonna get at least 1 or 2 more 40+ Luka explosions in this upcoming series against the current, not 100% versions of those two …. unless they double high/early ALL SERIES, and hope kyrie and Exum and Josh green don’t pick them apart and slash well, in 4-on-3 and 3-on-2 scenarios, which is probably exactly what Dallas has them working on right now.

Doncic is the sort that can torch anyone and I'm not saying he gets shut down. Just that the Clippers play two guys that defend a perimeter player of Doncic size better than most and with all the defensive switching that's a plus. Then on the other end they make it hard to hide Doncic from a bad match up. They can still get beat off course and it's a bad sign that Leonard isn't playing but I would like their chances if everyone is healthy, acknowledging the fact that everyone is never healthy.

[90sgoat]

Doncic is the sort that can torch anyone and I'm not saying he gets shut down. Just that the Clippers play two guys that defend a perimeter player of Doncic size better than most and with all the defensive switching that's a plus. Then on the other end they make it hard to hide Doncic from a bad match up. They can still get beat off course and it's a bad sign that Leonard isn't playing but I would like their chances if everyone is healthy, acknowledging the fact that everyone is never healthy.

It's true that Clips, Celts and Knicks play Luka the best historically, in addition to Wiggins.

Luka isn't unstoppable yet, he still struggles against long athletic defenders, but so does anyone. PG and Kawhi.

As for Kawhi, I would say his offense is more of a threat at this point than his defense. He was extremely efficient last time they matched up in the playoffs and Mavs still do not have any real wing stoppers. He'll feast in the midrange, though PJ Washington might be able to bother him with length and perhaps DJJ can give some minutes. Gonna need Josh Green to get ready.

That said, last time they played, was it game 7 it took? And Kawhi is older, PG is older, Harden is a dud on defense, Westbrook is a known choker.

It's very tough to predict what will happen in this series.

[BarberSchool]

It's true that Clips, Celts and Knicks play Luka the best historically, in addition to Wiggins.

Luka isn't unstoppable yet, he still struggles against long athletic defenders, but so does anyone. PG and Kawhi.

As for Kawhi, I would say his offense is more of a threat at this point than his defense. He was extremely efficient last time they matched up in the playoffs and Mavs still do not have any real wing stoppers. He'll feast in the midrange, though PJ Washington might be able to bother him with length and perhaps DJJ can give some minutes. Gonna need Josh Green to get ready.

That said, last time they played, was it game 7 it took? And Kawhi is older, PG is older, Harden is a dud on defense, Westbrook is a known choker.

It's very tough to predict what will happen in this series.

I don’t think this new Dallas team versus an old, hurt Clippers team will be as great a series as some of their previous series were. I take Dallas in 6 if Kawhi looks good, Dallas in 5 if he doesn’t.

[tpols]

I don’t think this new Dallas team versus an old, hurt Clippers team will be as great a series as some of their previous series were. I take Dallas in 6 if Kawhi looks good, Dallas in 5 if he doesn’t.

Dallas is gonna hunt the hell out of zùbac and Harden on defense.

[90sgoat]

I don’t think this new Dallas team versus an old, hurt Clippers team will be as great a series as some of their previous series were. I take Dallas in 6 if Kawhi looks good, Dallas in 5 if he doesn’t.

Yeah, I tend to lean that way. It might be over before it began. These old all star teams just don't rarely pan out.

If they lose the first 2 games, are Harden and Westbrook going to stay focused? What if Kawhi is injured in a game, will they be able to keep intensity?