The Los Angeles Clippers faced off against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night in North Carolina and they just barely eeked out a victory.
The Clippers took down the Hornets, 119-117, and now stand at 14-11 and 6th place in the West.
A win is a win but fans of the team were concerned that the Clippers would give the game away – even with the return of Kawhi Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard's Stats After Not Playing For Six Games Straight:
16 Points
6 Rebounds
2 Assists
7-15 From FG
0-3 From 3PDo You Think He Will Start Playing Better Later In The Season? pic.twitter.com/r4zzJDXXTw
— StatProvider (@statprovider) December 6, 2022
Yes, Leonard was back after a six-game absence, and Clippers loyalists were elated to see him suit up after so much time away.
Leonard put up 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists for the night, going 7-of-15 from the field but 0-of-3 from the three-point line.
These are not the numbers that we have come to expect from Leonard but patience needs to be given.
But how much longer can fans wait for the true return of Leonard?
Leonard Lacking
Let’s compare Leonard’s numbers on Monday to his career average.
For his career, Leonard has averaged 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, numbers that have been deflated a bit by his current season average of 11 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
His three-point percentage has dropped in a huge way, as evidenced on Monday.
For the season, he’s only 11.1% from the three, when he has been 38.2% for the rest of his time in the league.
Leonard has only participated in six games so far this season, so it’s very likely that he is still shaking the rust off of him after more than a year away from the court.
Still, fans are hoping that he gets better – and soon.
This was supposed to be the season for the Clippers because of Leonard, Paul George, John Wall, and others.
But right now, they are not blowing away the rest of the league as fans had hoped.
NEXT: The Clippers Are Hanging On Despite A Lack Of Leonard