Video: James Harden Says Kawhi Leonard's Injury 'Definitely Frustrating' for Clippers
May 4, 2024
After another early playoff exit in which Kawhi Leonard was unable to play in four of six games against the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Clippers are wondering what might have been if their roster had been fully healthy.
Speaking to reporters after Friday's loss to the Mavs, James Harden said it's "definitely frustrating" to go through a strong regular season and not be able to put their best five on the floor together in the postseason.
Joey Linn @joeylinn_James Harden on the potential of this Clippers roster if healthy:<br><br>"With our roster we have enough to compete and be the last team standing, but health is a huge part of it. The best ability is availability... For somebody like [Kawhi], he wants to be out there. He did everything… <a href="https://t.co/TXvFk9ZbsJ">pic.twitter.com/TXvFk9ZbsJ</a>
Leonard dealt with inflammation in his right knee, which he had surgically repaired after tearing his ACL in the summer of 2021, that kept him out for 12 of the Clippers' final 14 games.
Even in the two games Leonard was able to play against the Mavs, he wasn't playing up to his usual standards. The two-time NBA Finals MVP scored 15 points on 7-of-17 shooting in Game 2. He did have nine points on just seven shots and nine rebounds over 25 minutes in Game 3, but his four turnovers were his most in a game since Feb. 23.
Speaking to reporters on April 27, Leonard said his knee wasn't responding the way he hoped after Game 2, but he hoped to return at some point in the series against the Mavs.
When the Clippers had Leonard, Harden and Paul George in the lineup together this season, they were one of the best teams in the NBA. They went 26-5 from Dec. 2 to Feb. 5, even though Leonard missed four games during that stretch, and had the league's third-best net rating over that 31-game span.
The Clippers' 51 wins in 2023-24 were tied for the fifth-most in a single season in franchise history, but they haven't advanced past the first round of the playoffs since reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2021.