Kawhi Leonard’s Return: Clippers’ Star Scores 12 Points in Season Debut
INGLEWOOD — He hit a 3-pointer from the left wing on his first shot. He then found Norman Powell in the corner for his first assist and followed with a miss from 6 feet.
And with that, Kawhi Leonard’s comeback was officially rolling.
Leonard made his season debut Saturday night in a 131-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks after missing the team’s first 34 games. And while it wasn’t perfect, it was both a start and an end to a long road back from troubling knee issues.
Leonard, who was greeted by the near-sellout Intuit Dome crowd with a loud ovation, finished his first game in 10 months with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting, three rebounds, and one assist in 19 minutes.
A Relief to Be Back on the Floor
Leonard had said his plan was to be ready for the season opener, but the inflammation in his right knee never truly ceased after flaring up on March 31 against the Charlotte Hornets. He sat out the final eight regular-season games last spring and appeared in only two games in the Clippers’ 4-2 first-round playoff loss against the Dallas Mavericks.
Leonard’s knee problems kept him off the Olympic team and forced him to sit on the bench in street clothes for the first two-plus months of this season. Leonard, who has missed 290 regular-season games over the last eight years, including all of the 2021-22 season, seemed relieved to finally move from the training room to the court again after this latest frustration.
"There was nothing hard about playing tonight. We did the right steps to get me to this point, and playing basketball was the easy part of it," Leonard said. "This is what I love to do. The hard part is not playing and having to rehab and not competing with my teammates."
A Slow and Controlled Return
Leonard’s 19 minutes were by design, and he will continue to be on a minutes restriction for the foreseeable future, which is just fine with the two-time NBA Finals MVP, who has had two surgeries and another procedure on his right knee.
"We’re still easing me into the game," Leonard said. "We are not on no one’s timeframe. We know what’s ahead of us and we have to keep building in the right direction. So, we are facing it (comeback) like it was a preseason game tonight and we’ll keep moving the same way until I’m able to build up my minutes."
The Impact on the Team
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue and the rest of the team were understandably excited to see the two-time NBA champion back on the floor, whether it was for nine minutes or 19. Leonard gives the Clippers another scoring threat, someone who opposing teams need to guard, leaving others open to score.
"With his presence on the floor, it makes it a lot easier for everybody else, so it was good to have him," Lue said. "Now he’s got to continue to keep building off of it."
Next Steps
Lue started Leonard in place of Derrick Jones Jr., keeping Kris Dunn in the starting lineup. Jones came off the bench and scored 12 points.
"That was amazing just to be out there (with him)," Jones said. "I’m just happy he got his first shot to go down. When you come back from an injury or a long layoff, it always boosts you up a little bit. But once he got that, he started rolling, so he’s good."
The Future
The Clippers have a long way to go, but with Leonard back, they have a better chance of competing with the top teams in the Western Conference. They will need to continue to work together, with a mix of veteran players and young talent, to make a deep playoff run.
As for Leonard, he is taking it one game at a time, focusing on building up his minutes and getting back to his usual self.
"We’re still easing me into the game," Leonard said. "We’re not on no one’s timeframe. We know what’s ahead of us and we have to keep building in the right direction. So, we are facing it (comeback) like it was a preseason game tonight and we’ll keep moving the same way until I’m able to build up my minutes."
FAQs
Q: How many points did Kawhi Leonard score in his season debut?
A: 12 points
Q: How many minutes did Kawhi Leonard play in his season debut?
A: 19 minutes
Q: How many games did Kawhi Leonard miss due to knee issues?
A: 34 games
Q: How many surgeries and procedures has Kawhi Leonard had on his right knee?
A: 2 surgeries and 1 procedure
