The Los Angeles Clippers have been held down over the previous 5 years by damage issues, notably to star ahead Kawhi Leonard, and after dropping Paul George as a free agent this offseason, it was introduced that Leonard would miss an indefinite period of time to start out this season.
It led to some doom and gloom concerning the Clippers’ prospects, however they’ve performed surprisingly nicely, which allowed them to open with a 17-13 file that put them in seventh place within the Western Convention.
Now, there reportedly is lastly a goal date for Leonard’s return.
“Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is targeting Jan. 4, 2025 for his season debut, per Law Murray. LA faces the Atlanta Hawks at Intuit Dome that night,” The Athletic wrote on X.
SOURCES: Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is focusing on Jan. 4, 2025 for his season debut, per @LawMurrayTheNU.
LA faces the Atlanta Hawks at Intuit Dome that evening. pic.twitter.com/KaxtdRoDrP
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 28, 2024
With out Leonard there to bust defenses and bail them out close to the top of the shot clock, the Clippers have been one of many NBA’s weaker offensive groups, however they’ve gotten by with their protection.
They rank fifth in defensive score and have held their opponents beneath 100 factors 9 instances in 30 video games.
Their inside protection has been stable, they usually’re one of many NBA’s finest on the defensive boards, the place they rank second in defensive rebounding share.
Guard Norman Powell has stepped up offensively in Leonard’s absence, however James Harden is fighting a field-goal share of simply 38.9 p.c.
The arrival of Leonard and George in 2019 put the Clippers among the many favorites to win the NBA championship, however they’ve gone to the Western Convention Finals simply as soon as and have didn’t win a single playoff sequence since 2021.
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