Kawhi Leonard was roped in by the Los Angeles Clippers to help them guide to the NBA Championship like he did with the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs. But his three years at the Clippers have not gone according to plan. The duo of Leonard and Paul George is very highly rated but they have not been that effective for the Clippers. Both the players have missed considerable amount of time due to injuries. Therefore now analysts are raising questions whether Leonard should share the status with the greats of the game.
Leonard is once again returning from an injury and the interesting question will be how much will be play this season to get back to his usual rhythm. Also if he does not play much, can the Clippers still reach the postseason and then they can think of unleashing him or something like that. Questions are plenty and only time will give the answers.
Recently NBA analyst Chris Vernon questioned Kawhi Leonard’s status considering he has only played 109 games in the last three years. Recently on the ‘Mismatch’ podcast, Vernon shared how the Claw is usually one of the best players in the league right now and is easily among the top five or for sure in the top 10 players currently. He feels that the Clippers are a contender only if he manages to stay fit.
“If they are going to be a championship-caliber team, it all rides on this guy that we’ve seen play 109 games in three seasons. 109 games in three seasons, and the crazy thing is, when he does play, we all acknowledge he is one of the very best players in the NBA. One of the five or 10 best,” Vernon highlighted.
Chris Vernon then throws out his concerns where he states whether Kawhi is totally recovered and if yes how many matches will the Klaw play for the Clippers last season. Also considering he did not play at all last season things will be tough for him going forward. Vernon also questions whether Kawhi Leonard is the same player or not. Injuries and age can take a toll on the body and that can very well hamper a player’s performance, so Vernon’s concerns are very genuine but sadly we will only get the answers when the season starts.
“The question now is A, how much does he play?. But maybe more importantly, B, is he still that? You know what I’m saying? Like, he’s played 109 games in three years. We didn’t see him at all last year, and he’s now into his 30s. We have these visions of what he is, but is he still that guy?,” Vernon signs off.
The Clippers have added some more firepower to their roster by adding John Wall and resigning players like Ivica Zubac and Nicolas Batum. They have unreal depth in their ranks and with Leonard back things are looking good for the Clippers as they look to contend for the title this season.
