Through the immense scoring and minutes concluded by franchise star Kawhi Leonard, it is safe to say the last time he operated this well was his only dance with the Toronto Raptors. This is because his fuel levels are far from empty.
Furthermore, a major indicator that Leonard's knees are holding up fine is his ability to dunk the ball repeatedly. If complications, swelling, or inflammation surfaced, his body would not be able to generate enough power to leap for the rim.
Moreover, when he first returned, Leonard mostly laid the ball up in isolation or fast breaks. However, in the LA Clippers' last 20 match-ups, the two-time champion dunked multiple times a night and, on some occasions, even attempted to create a poster.
In one of the season's final battles against the Houston Rockets, Leonard slammed the rock home on numerous occasions and missed a put-back that would have made it to his career highlights had it been punched through.
Man to me tonight kawhi looked like he was using tonight as playoff ramp up. Kawhi has been in this mode for a min but.
— Jamal Cristopher (@JamCristopher) April 10, 2025
22 shots, dunking/tryna dunk everything, there were stretches were he just wouldn’t stop jumping & sprinting. Work within the work.
Like 3-4 dunks. And this. pic.twitter.com/iMXxwAzJ65
Nonetheless, the Clippers are genuinely stressed about the dependability of Leonard's knees in a competitive Western Conference bracket. He last finished the postseason in 2020, so is there something unique about this year?
Kawhi Leonard finally feels good and will shine against the Denver Nuggets in the first round
The media and NBA community have years of supporting evidence against Kawhi Leonard making it to the end, but there is something about his current vibe and movements that will dictate the opposite.
Leonard will face the Denver Nuggets on the opening stage after averaging 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists for the LA Clippers in 38 games. He was also 0.02% short on his field goal percentage of shooting 50-40 splits.
The weight upon these box scores comes from the fact that they were not empty, as the Clippers stapled their names in the fifth slot and ended the regular season winning eight in a row.
Additionally, the Clippers' social media team has delivered the fans with expressive posts of Leonard in a laughing and optimistic mood. This is a bonus, and former LA veteran Patrick Beverley provided extra reassurance on his podcast by transmitting an emotional message he received from the six-time All-Star after winning against the Golden State Warriors Sunday evening.
“🥲 Pat I’m happy I made it through the year.”
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) April 17, 2025
People don’t realize the toll injuries take on you mentally. Glad to see Kawhi healthy going into the playoffs ❤️ pic.twitter.com/yB20954Rji
That said, the world's doubt on Leonard will be eradicated after he torches the Nuggets and resurges for the third championship parade of his career.