After being out for a year due to injury, Kawhi Leonard was ready to play again, but he had to sit out of the Los Angeles Clippers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder back in October after experiencing discomfort during the pregame warmup. It took him a while to recover and 11 games later he returned to the court as a starter to feature for 25 minutes in his team’s 96-91 win over the Detroit Pistons.
After missing 12 consecutive games, Clippers fans were thrilled to see their franchise hero back in action. For the Los Angeles team and Leonard, the road to recovery hasn’t been simple. The versatile forward only scored six points on 2-of-8 shooting in a season-high 24 minutes on Thursday night’s victory.
Leonard didn’t shine in attack, recording just six points, but he was key to the Clippers’ victory, as his team had a remarkable +26 with him on court. Some NBA experts aren’t satisfied with Leonard’s recent feats. ESPN reporter Zach Lowe expressed his dissatisfaction with Leonard’s quiet performance.
He noted, “I thought last night he looked rusty, rustier than I expected. A little bit worse frankly than he looked in the first two games he played this season and a little tentative,” Lowe said. “He was deferential to other teammates, and maybe that’s fine. It’s his first game back in a while. Maybe it’s a two-year process.”
“Last night he looked rusty, rustier than I expected” – NBA analyst criticizes Kawhi Leonard’s sluggish comeback game https://t.co/KxCF4gAqRW #NBA #Basketball
— Sports Worldwide (@Sportsworld0412) November 19, 2022
Although Leonard sounds optimistic and grateful to be back in action. “It was good to be back,” Leonard said. “I felt good. It’s going to be a long journey. ACL recovery isn’t just one year. It’s a two-year process.”
Fans are waiting to see the old Leonard regain his form and rock the court. Hopefully they will not have to wait for too long.
