All-Star Clippers small ahead Kawhi Leonard is predicted to play his first recreation of the yr with L.A. on Saturday towards the Hawks, sources inform NBA insider Chris Haynes (X video link). ESPN’s Shams Charania studies that Leonard intends to play.
For his or her half, the Clippers formally upgraded Leonard’s standing for the conflict towards Atlanta to questionable.
Final week, it was initially reported that the previous two-time Finals MVP and the Clippers had been targeting this Jan. 4 tilt for Leonard’s return to motion. It seems that stays very a lot the plan, and his ramp-up from an offseason procedure to deal with proper knee irritation remains to be on monitor.
Leonard took half in a 5-on-5 staff scrimmage with L.A. final week and has practiced with the membership’s NBAGL affiliate, the San Diego Clippers, throughout L.A.’s recently-concluded three-game street journey.
L.A. went 1-2 on that street journey. However the Clippers have had a surprisingly sturdy begin to their 2024/25 season sans Leonard, thanks largely to the prolific scoring of guards James Harden and Norman Powell. The membership is at the moment 19-15 on the season. That report is sweet for the Western Convention’s No. 7 seed, a strong end with out the staff’s costliest participant.
