Whenever the conversation concerns the LA Clippers and their expectations as a team, things will always start and end with Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers' wing is still one of the best players in the world when healthy, but his body has routinely failed him since his arrival in Los Angeles.
It is an unfortunate reality of life as a professional athlete. Sometimes all the correct medical protocol, training routines and everything of the like can be adhered to and an undesired result can still be produced. Such has been the story of Leonard's tenure with the Clippers.
After a summer of uncertainty, plenty of Clippers fans are rightfully concerned with Kawhi's injury status. He was sent home from Team USA camp after planning to participate with the US national team at the Olympics. From there, a troubling report came out that he had undergone a procedure in the offseason, and his status for opening night was uncertain.
It felt like a rush of PTSD for Clippers fans or even just Kawhi Leonard fans who have heard this story one too many times before. As such, his health was a common topic for questions at the Clippers' media day on Monday. When Kawhi was asked about playing in LA's regular season opener, he revealed that "the plan is to play," but also noted a decision will be made based on what kind of shape his body is in at the time.
Kawhi Leonard said the plan is to play opening night but it still depends on his body.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) September 30, 2024
Kawhi says the plan is to play opening night
Obviously, there is some wiggle room here for Kawhi to back out of playing in the opener if he is not feeling right, but this should still be a relatively reassuring thing to hear. If he had simply come out of the gate saying, "I'll have to see how I feel later," it would likely indicate a greater cause for concern.
The fact that Leonard does indeed plan to play when the regular season starts should trigger a sigh of relief from the Clippers' fanbase. His status is always subject to change, but hearing Kawhi say he feels good to enough to play as of now is undoubtedly a positive.
It would certainly feel right if Kawhi was in LA's lineup when the team first takes the floor at Intuit Dome against the Phoenix Suns on October 23. Starting the season off on the right note feels like a must in this new era of Clippers basketball.