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If someone doesn’t understand the Clippers managment of Kawhi Leonard, show them this

By Ryan Snellings

HONOLULU, HI - OCTOBER 3: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers looks on during the game against the Houston Rockets on October 3, 2019 at the Stan Sheriff Center, Hawaii. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jay Metzger/NBAE via Getty Images)
HONOLULU, HI - OCTOBER 3: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers looks on during the game against the Houston Rockets on October 3, 2019 at the Stan Sheriff Center, Hawaii. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jay Metzger/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Is someone you know questioning the Clippers resting Kawhi Leonard? Don’t understand his injury in full yourself? This video has all the answers you need.

Load management. Rest (knee). Knee maintenance. No matter what they call it, the LA Clippers are going to continue to rest Kawhi Leonard this season. ESPN and other networks along with many fans may hate that it’s happening, but it’s a necessity.

Now, if you are like I was, you probably don’t have a full understanding of why Kawhi must be rested. All you know is that he has a degenerative issue that caused some trouble for him in San Antonio which led to his departure and that his rest last season helped him to be (mostly) healthy during his championship run in Toronto.

Luckily for all of us, Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT of 3cb Performance has made a video to explain Kawhi’s injury and why rest is required. Set aside nine minutes and watch this.

Kawhi suffers from right quadricep tendinopathy. In the 2019 playoffs, Kawhi injured his left knee which was deemed a compensatory injury due to him favoring his right leg.

If you remember just a few weeks ago, it was the left knee that caused controversy when the NBA fined the Clippers for statements by Doc Rivers. Doc said that Kawhi felt fine, despite the NBA giving them clearance to rest Kawhi due to ongoing issues with his left Patellar tendon. The conflicting statement by Doc is what generated the fine, not the resting of their star player.

Dr. Brar details the stages of tendinopathy, which is “the breakdown of collagen in a tendon. This causes burning pain in addition to reduced flexibility and range of motion.” There are three stages of tendinopathy: Reactive tendinopathy, tendon disrepair, and degenerative tendinopathy.

What stage is Kawhi Leonard in? We don’t know for sure. Based on the way his injury has been handled though, Dr. Brar believes that his right quadricep is in stage two, tendon disrepair. He thinks the left leg is a little better off, in stage one, reactive tendinopathy.

Although we can’t know for certain (unless the Clippers come right out and say it), the recommendation remains the same. Dr. Brar states that unless Kawhi proactively manages his pain, the injuries will get progressively worse.

By managing the load (sound familiar?) placed on the knee, Kawhi’s tendon will adapt and become stronger. This isn’t something that can be done randomly and must be monitored throughout the year. If not, his knee risks getting worse which would lead to him missing significant time later in the season.

Next. Budding bromance between Pat Bev and PG13. dark

If you are reading this last paragraph and haven’t watched the above video, I again strongly recommend going back up and giving it a view. Kawhi’s load management is something that we will see likely for the rest of his career, so it is worth understanding. We want to extend a thank you to Dr. Brar for putting this video together and allowing us to use it. Make sure to follow him on Twitter and to continue to check back here for any injury news and updates regarding the Clippers!