Kawhi Leonard’s career filled with uncertainty due to injuries
El alero, que sufre un desgarro en el menisco de la rodilla derecha, ha jugado menos de la mitad de los partidos desde el curso 17-18 y hay quien se atreve a hablar de posible retirada
It’s not easy to establish recovery time for an injury, but timelines with the Clippers’ small forward tend to drag on. This is the latest blow dealt to a player plagued by fitness issues in recent seasons.
Due to various injuries or the management of the physical by his teams, he has only played 230 regular league games out of a possible 472 (48.7 percent) since 2017/18.
The percentage may be lower if he is not ready for the start of the next season. The precautions taken by the Clippers to protect their star during the regular season, by managing his playing time and games, didn’t help.
In the series opener against the Phoenix Suns he scored 38 points. In that game he suffered a sprained knee. Nevertheless, he played the second game. He scored 31, but the Clippers lost.
This was not the worst news. It was later revealed that he had a torn meniscus. He would be out for the following games. Another devastating injury for the Clippers star.
Meanwhile, his team are already eliminated from the playoffs after losing four games in a row. One more year, maintaining their reputation as a cursed franchise, they could not have their stars in the playoffs, as Paul George was sidelined through injury too.
In Game 5 of the 2017 West Conference semi-final between his San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, Leonard suffered a sprained left ankle. He missed the next one, but returned for Game 1 of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. With San Antonio winning comfortably, Zaza Pachulia put his foot underneath as the forward was shooting a three-pointer.
Leonard stepped on his opponent’s foot on his way down and his ankle injury worsened. He played no more in the entire series. Golden State bounced back that day and ended up winning 4-0, taking advantage of his absence.
Tension with the Spurs over an injury
At the start of the 2017/18 season, Leonard missed the first 27 games due to right quadriceps tendinopathy.
He didn’t play until December, but was soon back again to continue recovery from the same injury as tension with the Spurs mounted. Doctors had cleared him to play, but he didn’t feel ready.
He played nine games out of a possible 82. In the summer he went to the Raptors, whom he led to the NBA trophy in the only season he played in Toronto. He featured in 60 out of a possible 82 games in the regular season and had no injury issues.
Nor did he have injuries in his first year with the Clippers, as he played 57 of the 72 games due to Covid-19. Leonard played throughout the 2020/21 season, but in the playoffs he suffered a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the fourth game of the playoffs.
After almost 16 months on the sidelines, he returned to
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