Wednesday was a good day for Los Angeles. On one hand, the Lakers clinched a win against the Miami Heat. On the other hand, the Clippers took their sweet moment to shatter the Brooklyn Nets at the Intuit Dome. Ty Lue was the happiest coach as his boys won 126-67 vs. the Nets. Yes, the Clippers won with a massive margin of 59 points! And guess who was the star of the show? Nope, not James Harden. It was their phoenix, Kawhi Leonard.

The Klaw came back after a 31-game break due to several knee procedures. At one point, many experts had advised the 2x NBA champ to retire and end his sufferings. However, he didn’t listen to anyone and looked at the results before our eyes. Playing against Cam Johnson & Co. the veteran forward scored 23 points in his restricted minutes. Kawhi played like his old self; more assertive and aggressive. Well, Coach Lue had previously hinted that the 33-year-old star would make a great comeback. “What did you see out there? How do you feel like he’s progressed since the last time?” the reporters asked Lue in the post-game presser.

“He was really good. His pace, his force, how he got to his spots, you know, I thought was really good,” Ty Lue said of Kawhi Leonard. “So just keep stacking these days, you know, feeling good, of trusting it, believing in it. Like I said, he put the work in to get to this point. So tonight was a good test for him to go hard and test it out and feel good about it. So I thought he did tonight. He looked pretty good.” But of course, fans want to see Klaw play till the fourth quarter like he used to. Is there a possibility of that happening any time soon?

If Kawhi Leonard’s game vs. the Nets was closer (to playing more minutes) would he have been able to play in the fourth? “No,” Ty Lue informed. “I think, he’s slick on luck.” Well, the Clippers don’t want to risk things with Kawhi, therefore his minutes have been limited since his return to the court. However, his first 4th quarter minutes of the season might come on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Meanwhile, Leonard’s recent confession surrounding his injury, return, and playing minutes is telling a different story. Perhaps a plan that the Clippers are executing to bypass further inconvenience for their veteran star.

Kawhi Leonard isn’t rushing to shed his minutes restrictions

Klaw finally debuted in the 2024-25 NBA season on January 4 after spending the first half of the season working his way back from an offseason knee procedure. He has yet to play more than 21 minutes in any of his first three outings this season. Meanwhile, Ty Lue and the Clippers are staying tight-lipped about Leonard’s minutes restriction and when it will be lifted. But the two-time Finals MVP is in no rush. On Monday night, he made it clear: no need to rush, not when a setback could be waiting.

“No, I’m taking my time,” Leonard said when asked if he was anxious to play more. “I’ve done that in the past and it led to me on the bench, I’m good where I’m at.” 

The Clippers are treating this stretch as Leonard’s preseason. Strict minutes limit? Check. No fourth-quarter action? Absolutely. He’s averaging just 8.7 points on 32.3% shooting. But the goal is clear: be ready for April. With the 33-year-old battling injuries every season’s end, both Leonard and the team are playing it slow to ensure he’s postseason-ready.

Kawhi Leonard’s return changes the game for the Clippers, but patience drives the plan. Despite his stellar 23-point performance against the Nets, the team carefully manages his minutes. The Clippers aren’t rushing, knowing that the goal is a healthy Leonard for the playoffs. With cautious optimism, Ty Lue and Leonard focus on the postseason, taking it step by step. Fans may need to wait, but the payoff could be huge come April.