Clippers: Is Kawhi Leonard going to be good to go for Game 6?
By Evan Desai
Kawhi Leonard hasn’t been healthy enough to play for the LA Clippers in each of the last seven postseason games after suffering what was originally thought to be a knee sprain in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Eyebrows were raised when Shams Charania reported that the Clips actually fear that Kawhi maybe injured his ACL.
Since Kawhi began missing action, the Clippers have experienced mixed results. They won out in the Conference Semifinals after they tied the series at 2-2 with Kawhi, and are now down 3-2 without Kawhi in the Conference Finals. Winning a game with the Clips’ backs against the wall was huge on Monday, but it’s tough to do that three times in a row.
Will Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard play in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals?
It’s unknown right now whether Kawhi Leonard will be playing in Game 6 for the LA Clippers.
It’s very known, however, that the Clippers could establish themselves as favorites for the rest of the series if Leonard comes back.
If Leonard truly does have an ACL injury, he probably will not be playing. Nothing’s for sure, either way, as some ACL injuries aren’t as dangerous as many people assume them to be. The likelihood, however, of him playing in Game 6 after an ACL injury, however, would be assumedly low.
If it was indeed a knee sprain, though, he very well could be lined up to lace ’em up tomorrow night. It would 100% depend on how serious the knee injury is.
The Clippers still have a chance to get the win at Staples Center tomorrow even without Kawhi. Without Kawhi and Ivica Zubac last game, Paul George had a career night, scoring 41 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, serving up six assists, and swiping three steals.
He’s hot right now, and has shown ability in multiple playoff games that he is good enough to carry this team without Kawhi. Terance Mann also rose to the challenge and had a career night with Kawhi out at one point, scoring 39 points in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals to send the Utah Jazz to Cancun.
Nobody has responded to adversity better than the Clippers have this year, so the Clips are absolutely still in this series. That being said, a healthy Kawhi Leonard could set them up to be favored going forward.
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A healthy Leonard means that the Clippers have quite easily the best player in the series on their team.