Well, the Clippers are preparing for their second preseason game. But we are yet to see Kawhi Leonard in action as he is still working on strengthening his right knee. Even during the opener against the Warriors, The Klaw was forced to watch from the sidelines while his team suffered a brutal one-point loss. As it turns out, Ty Lue is in no hurry to rush his lead star’s return, as the head coach is focused on the bigger picture and is even willing to not listen to the two-time champion in the process.

As per the latest injury report, Kawhi Leonard will remain out for tonight’s game against the Nets. Part of the reason is Ty Lue’s priority of keeping the superstar healthy for the entire season, “The biggest thing for us is making sure we do right by Kawhi. Not let him hurt himself as he tries to get back… If he gets pissed off at us while protecting him, so be it.”

Sure enough, Ty Lue’s concern is justified as the hooper missed the final eight games of last season along with the majority of the playoffs because of an inflammation in his right knee. He even underwent a procedure this summer to fix the problem. As of September 25, Lawrence Frank confirmed in an interview that the hooper’s “swelling has significantly gone down.”

While Kawhi Leonard has reportedly made good progress so far, Ty Lue does not want to risk him getting re-injured and missing games late in the season. It proved to be quite costly last season for the LA side. Well, that certainly puts a question mark on the timeline of his comeback, which could be frustrating. But Ty is willing to take that risk. However, it could also ruin Kawhi’s plan…

Kawhi Leonard is “feeling good” and plans to play on opening night!

With Ty Lue making his vision clear, surely many of you would be wondering when Kawhi will play again. Well, the superstar revealed on Media Day that he plans on suiting up for the Clippers’ first regular season game, which is against the Suns. However, there were some conditions, “It all depends on what we want and what we figure out and how my body is feeling.” Yes, Leonard has also cooperated and been patient during his recovery, most importantly understanding why the team is being so cautious.

Despite being on the LA Clippers roster for five years, he has played 60+ games in a season only once. And the rest of the times, he has missed crucial games due to injuries. “We taking it day by day. Everything’s been going great for the past month. But they being very cautious, you know, for reasons… Making sure that I stay healthy for those important moments,” he remarked.

However, his playing 68 games last season has instilled some motivation, “I can play. I mean, I played most games in a longtime last year.” With him getting enough recovery time, Kawhi plans on being available for his team throughout their title pursuit: “I’m happy that I’m feeling good and it’s feeling a lot better than it was. So, I just like I said, we just take it one day at a time, one step at a time, and hopefully, I can get through these playoffs this year.”

Kick-starting this new campaign without Paul George, James Harden will be expected to take up a lead role and facilitate plays, as he did in the opening game against the Warriors with 8 assists. It remains to be seen how The Klaw adjusts to Harden’s presence on the floor. Do you think Ty Lue and the LA side will help Kawhi achieve his goal?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.