The LA Clippers can’t seem to find solid ground. Every season brings fresh disappointment, but the 2024/25 season feels especially rough. Paul George jumped ship to the 76ers, and Kawhi Leonard’s ongoing knee issues have sidelined the 2x NBA champion indefinitely. To top it off, they opened the season with a crushing home loss—exactly what they didn’t need. Yet, here we are. And it gets worse: an ex-employee slapped them with a 20-page lawsuit over Leonard’s injuries. Now, even NBA insiders are calling out the team’s secrecy and questionable handling of the situation.

“There’s never a timetable for Kawhi!” NBA insider Brian Windhorst pointed out. Discussing the current matters at hand on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective on Spotify, the host and guests noted the unnatural dark clouds over The Klaw’s injury reports and timeline. There is always a lack of clarity from the Clippers‘ side when it comes to Leonard’s updates. Therefore, a question keeps arising: Are the Clippers going to be too far back by the time Kawhi gets back?

The possibility is high unless miracles happen for a team led by a single star—James Harden. However, Brian Windhorst informed something rather concerning. Speaking of Kawhi Leonard’s ACL injury followed by his knee surgery, there seems to be no official acknowledgment from the team. “I’d like to know, I don’t know what this surgery was, the surgery he had. Have they even officially acknowledged it?” asked Windhorst. “They never said that he, remember a couple of years ago he had surgery and like, they wouldn’t even say whether it was like a full ACL. The guy had a torn ACL and he was listed as freaking questionable.”

Kawhi Leonard played 68 games last season, the second-most in a season after his career-highest of 74 games in 2016/17. But the primary concern here is the way the Clippers are treating the injury situation. Being hit with a lawsuit by an ex-employee in such tumultuous times surely isn’t helping Steve Ballmer and his desperate attempts with the $2 billion Intuit Dome. Moreover, one ill decision after another is further pushing the team into the quicksand of controversies and trials.

Kawhi Leonard’s former Clippers trainer exposes the organization for allegedly mistreating the star’s injuries

Hours after meeting defeat at the Intuit Dome, Steve Ballmer and Co. were slammed with something unexpected. Former employee (trainer) Randy Shelton who took care of Kawhi Leonard during his LA tenure has sued the franchise for ‘wrongful termination’ along with several other accusations. Most important and concerning of all are the allegations of injury mishandling.

Shelton’s lawsuit claims “unsafe and illegal treatment” of Kawhi Leonard’s injuries. The report claims that the team ‘forced’ Kawhi Leonard to play through injuries and failed to give him sufficient time to recover from his 2021 ACL injury. Additionally, they made him compete in the 2023 playoffs even after he suffered a concussion.

The Clippers swiftly denied Shelton’s allegations, asserting that his claims were baseless and that they honored his employment contract. Despite this, Shelton’s attorney suggested the lawsuit could be a wake-up call for the organization. It emphasizes the need for proper health treatment for players. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Leonard may face an extended absence due to knee inflammation. This further complicates the team’s already troubled season.

The situation within the Clippers squad is far from casual. One after the other, troubles have lined up. As the season unfolds, one question lingers: can the Clippers rally around James Harden and turn things around before it’s too late? Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard’s injury reports remain shrouded in mystery, and the mounting pressure from all sides intensifies. The Clippers are finding themselves at a crossroads. They must confront their missteps and prioritize their players’ health to find a path forward. Only time will tell if they can escape this cycle of chaos and reclaim their potential.