The Los Angeles Clippers have had 49 games so far this season and their biggest star, Kawhi Leonard, has participated in just 24 of them.
During that time, Leonard has been slow to get going and has missed many matches as he has rehabilitated from injury and got back into the swing of playing in the NBA.
Kawhi Leonard over his last 7 games:
29.6 points
6.7 rebounds
3.9 assistsLooking like an elite player once again for the Clippers. pic.twitter.com/amjAycoczf
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) January 22, 2023
Leonard still doesn’t seem to be at 100% but he is playing a lot like his former self and is showing just how talented he is.
Over his last 7 games, Leonard has averaged 29.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
There is room for improvement and the Clippers have quite a hill to climb if they want to have serious postseason success but Leonard is looking more and more like the two-time Finals MVP he is.
Los Angeles has clearly suffered without Leonard playing in all the games.
They are currently the 6th team in the West with a 25-24 record, behind the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Denver Nuggets.
You have to remember that many people expected the Clippers to be the most powerful team in the Western Conference from the very start of the season.
The lack of Paul George also hasn’t helped the team at all but he is seemingly back, healthy, and ready to play too.
That means that the team is finally fully composed and prepared to make up for the lost time.
That’s a tall order but if Leonard continues playing like this then there is every reason to believe they could do it.
The Clippers hope to continue their two-game win streak on Tuesday when they face off against their southland rivals, the Lakers.
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