Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is a star. There's no question about that. However, Leonard's availability has been a concern over the years. Despite this fact, NBA 2K26 still rated Leonard within the top 20 of all players, as the Clippers star's 92 overall rating is good for 15th in the league. Should Leonard's lack of games played factor into the rating?
The injuries he's dealt with are not his fault. Still, they are an unfortunate part of sports. In 2024-25, the veteran forward appeared in only 37 games. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per outing during that time.
If Leonard only struggled to play a respectable amount of games in one or two seasons that would be one thing. However, this is a player who has appeared in more than 60 games just once since joining the Clippers in the 2019-20 season. Leonard accomplished the feat in 2023-24, when he averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Aside from that season, though, he's struggled to stay on the floor for the most part in LA.
Additionally, Leonard and the Clippers have not found postseason success. The Clippers' playoff struggles are not all Leonard's fault, but he's had quality rosters around him, yet the team hasn't been able to make a deep postseason run.
At what point do we begin asking if Kawhi Leonard is still truly a superstar?
From purely a talent standpoint, Leonard is among the best players in the league. Availability is pivotal, though, and Leonard isn't getting any younger at 34 years old. Of course, the hope is that he can bounce back and avoid long injury absences moving forward. It remains to be seen if he will be able to accomplish that feat, though.
So, why is this deep dive necessary because of an NBA 2K rating? Well, the game prides itself on delivering accurate analysis of players' skills on the floor. As mentioned, no one is questioning Leonard's talent. There comes a point when the game needs to factor in serious lack of availability, however.
A rating in the mid-high 80's would probably be the best for Kawhi Leonard at the moment. That kind of rating may give him motivation (although, not sure if he pays attention to 2K ratings) to stay on the court and play at an especially high level throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
Of course, as discussed earlier, injuries are not his fault. Leonard is doing everything he can to stay on the floor. The unfortunate element of being a professional athlete is that some players battle serious injury trouble. There are other players -- who have played more games than Leonard in recent seasons -- who likely deserve better ratings than the Clippers star.