LA Clippers Head Coach Talks About Relying on Kawhi Leonard After Record Night Against Bulls

Kawhi Leonard is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. While he developed his reputation on the backs of his tremendous defensive play, Kawhi has proven to be a weapon offensively as well. He was the primary option on the 2019 Champion Toronto Raptors, but struggled through the final three games of the 2020 Playoffs for the LA Clippers against the Denver Nuggets.

The Clippers look solid under new coach Ty Lue, currently sitting third in the West. While they are behind rivals LA Lakers, they have a win over them this season. Kawhi has been fantastic and has led the team along with Paul George. The ‘Klaw’ scored 33 points against the Chicago Bulls and coach Ty Lue was full of praise for his star.

“After the first two games getting back from the road trip, he was pretty tired. Since then, I think he’s gotten his legs back underneath him, he’s playing at a good pace. Getting guys involved, getting good matchups, and he’s getting to his spots. Getting to his sports, getting to his shots, and then live with the results. He’s been doing it very well over the last couple of games as well.”

Kawhi Leonard: Will he slow down?

Kawhi Leonard has built notoriety overtaking it slow in the regular season. While he once finished second in the MVP voting, his injury struggles have slowed him down over the last few seasons. His reduced workload became a major talking point in the last few seasons, especially after the Clippers collapsed in the Playoffs last season.

The expectation is that Kawhi will be careful about his minutes without openly taking games off like he did last season. However, everyone should be cautious with Kawhi and his fragility. But if he can continue this output, the Clippers would be much better off with him on the court throughout the games. Let’s see how his workload changes over the next few weeks.