Kawhi Leonard could only watch from home when Team USA celebrated the Gold medal win in Paris. His injury took that moment away from him, just like the times he spent sidelined for his ailments in the past. He watched again when Russell Westbrook moved on to the Nuggets and looked on when Paul George left for Philly. But for Kawhi, that hardly changes anything. He spent the offseason recuperating his right knee injury. But the franchise expects him to be back early in the season and they need him to be back.

The Clippers‘ $153 million contract makes a mockery of the situation with Kawhi on the sidelines. Now that there’s a PG13 void, Klaw needs to step up. During the Media Day, when the reporters asked how Kawhi would proceed with the Clips and whether his mindset would change in the upcoming season now that his on-court partner has departed, the small forward answered, “Not really. I mean, that he obviously made things easier on the court for players, but as far as my mental focus going into the game, I don’t feel like it’s gonna be harder for me personally. I didn’t look at it for anybody I’m on the court with. I don’t look at him to be my savior.”

Well, that might sting a bit. After playing 5 seasons together, George certainly wouldn’t have anticipated a response like that. But it appears like Kawhi has made peace with the fact that the 9-time All-Star left for the $212 million maximum contract to the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, it is time for him to showcase his championship experience with a comparatively thin Clippers roster.

Stephen A. Smith had also re-emphasized in July that Paul George doesn’t have an ego that would have a “cancerous” effect on the franchise. While PG’s exit would’ve been controversial and confusing after his 22.6 points average last season, it’s also important to note that the Leonard-George experiment did not produce an NBA Finals trip for the LA side.

“I take in my own role and my challenges that I have to face each and every game and going there and trying to dominate the game. So I don’t think, with that being said, my mindset is gonna change in that way,” the 33-year-old added. While the hoops community is worried about the Clippers situation, Kawhi is optimistic that they can still make a run for the title.

Kawhi Leonard remains hopeful despite constant injuries and intends to pick up where he left off with the Clippers

In his second season with the LA Clippers, Kawhi Leonard missed the chance to be in their first Conference Finals because of a torn ACL in his right knee. The team lost the series and the player who came after a season of absence. Again, in the 2023 playoffs, he had a torn meniscus in the same knee, and it recurred in the following season. However, he is ready for the challenge this time around.

Highlighting the positive side, Kawhi stated, “I played the most games I’ve played in a long time last year. I played 68 games… Obviously, the last two years I came back from ACL… It’s a progression for me. it was successful for us last year obviously from a fan base or just from my own competitive nature you know we didn’t reach a goal but um the grand scheme of things…it was a good year. I went from 0 games to 52 to 68, so let’s see if we can keep it going from here.”

James Harden, on the other hand, had a great stat line despite the LA side’s short 6-game playoff run last season. He averaged 21.2 points and 8 assists while going 44.9% from the field and 38.3% from deep range. Now, with the arrival of Derrick Jones Jr., The Beard will likely be expected to pick up and more deeper creative role and facilitate the scoring and shooting.

In the next season, the Clippers will be playing at their new arena, Intuit Dome, donning their new uniforms. Instead of being excited about it, their fans are anxious because of the sudden changes. Now with Paul George and Russell Westbrook gone, hopefully, Kawhi’s latest statements can cool the community down to a certain extent as preseason action is just a few sleeps away.

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