As we inch closer to the start of the LA Clippers' season, the burning question still near the top of many fans' minds is concerning Kawhi Leonard. Because when it comes to this team, their chances of winning a championship correlate directly with the health of their best player.
On Thursday afternoon, breaking news from Shams Charania revealed the latest update on Kawhi's situation. According to the top NBA insider, Leonard is expected to be sidelined for an "indefinite period of time to begin the NBA season as he rehabilitates the inflammation in his right knee."
This comes after Ty Lue confirmed the starters for next week's regular season opener, making it known that Kawhi was expected to miss the team's first ever game at Intuit Dome. Now, it appears he will be missing more time beyond that, with the exact number of games unknown.
The ESPN crew gave their reactions to this news as Shams hopped on NBA Today to discuss the critical update. During the show, several analysts gave their pessimistic takes on what continues to be a troubling situation for the Clippers' best player.
Legler: "I think you're hardly going to see Kawhi at all this year, if you even see him."
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) October 17, 2024
Perkins: "I really think Kawhi Leonard should consider retiring." pic.twitter.com/v5TK7GlLL4
Perkins: Kawhi should consider retiring
"Here's what I think: I think you're going to hardly see Kawhi Leonard at all this year, if you even see him," said Tim Legler. "The fact that you've had six months since we last saw him trying to fight his way through that playoff series against Dallas and couldn't go, you talk about six months of very little activity doing nothing but addressing this situation and you already have inflammation ... Really bad sign for the Clippers, even worse for Kawhi Leonard."
As much as it may hurt to admit, Legler is right on the money. Things truly look grim for Kawhi, especially considering this is the same issue that initially sidelined him for the end of the regular season way back in April. We can consider that he had an offseason surgery and that likely changed his timeline to a degree, but long-term injuries like this one are never a good sign.
Kendrick Perkins weighed in as well. "I think it's about that time to have that uncomfortable, tough conversation," he said. "This is not a hot take. But when you think about his history ... In every single season, it's a problem when it comes down to Kawhi Leonard's health. He needs to sit down at the round table not only with the Clippers organization, but with his family as well. I really think Kawhi Leonard should consider retiring."
After saying this, Perkins reiterated that he is a fan of Kawhi's game, but noted how brutal these knee injuries can get over time, and reminded everyone that there are only so many surgeries you can have. Truthfully, some Clippers fans may actually agree with Perk here. I am sure many are overwhelmed with the constant uncertainty surrounding Leonard's health, and some may just feel ready to move on.
In the big picture, the Clippers will only have a chance to win a championship if Kawhi can get back on the floor and be at his best. For the time being, we will all simply have to wait and see if that ends up happening this season.