In their previous game against the Rockets, the Clippers won thanks to a balanced scoring effort led by Paul George, who was largely unnecessary in the fourth quarter. Coach Ty Lue benched his best players because of the back-to-back games they had to play.
The Clippers are 8-6 without superstar Kawhi Leonard, who sat out for the 11th straight game on Monday night against the Rockets. The Klaw has played 5-on-5, and his return date is still up in the air, but Coach Lue said he’s close.
The Clippers will play the Dallas Mavericks today as they continue their tour of Texas in hopes of meeting their postseason archrivals. The question of Kawhi’s availability emerges as Luka Doncic attempts to build on his recent success.
Luka Magic’s postseason hopes were dashed twice in 2020-21 by the Clippers, who have been one of his biggest obstacles all season long.
Is Kawhi Leonard Playing Tonight?
It has been reported by Dalton Trigg of FanNation that The Klaw will not be playing versus the Mavericks in their upcoming game. The former defensive player of the year is still sidelined and is being managed for a knee ailment.
Coach Lue also intends to give veteran point guard John Wall, who has not been given the all-clear to play consecutive games, some time off.
As a result, George will once more be entrusted with the duty of guiding the attack, a role in which he has been performing exceptionally well. This seven-time All-Star has been putting up an average of 24.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Despite this, he will need to take his scoring game to a whole new level this time around in order to compete with Luka’s several 30-point scoring runs that have occurred this season.
Given that Kawhi has never been defeated by Luka, it would have been fascinating to watch a matchup between the two players. Luka plays guard for the Mavericks. The Klaw has a record of 8-5 against Luka in their 13 meetings that take place during the postseason.
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Early Life Of Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Anthony Leonard was born on June 29, 1991 in Los Angeles, California, which is also where he spent his formative years and where he currently resides. Leonard is the fifth and final child to be born to Mark Leonard, who is known as his father, and Kim Leonard,
who is known as his mother (his mother). When Kawhi’s father was killed at the family’s car wash in Compton, California, where he owned and operated the business, tragedy struck the young Kawhi’s life at an early stage.
Kawhi Leonard started his educational career at Canyon Springs High School before moving on to Martin Luther King High School in the middle of his junior year. During his senior season, Leonard played alongside Tony Shell and turned up fantastic performances,
which led Rivals.com to rank him as a 4-star prospect. In 2009, Kawhi was ranked as the number 48 overall player in the country and the number 8 small forward overall according to various rankings.
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Career Of Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi spent two years playing college basketball with the San Diego State Aztecs, when his talents were recognised with a consensus selection to the All-America second team in his sophomore season.
In Kawhi’s second year with the Aztecs, the team won the conference tournament for the second year in a row, allowing Leonard to take his squad back to the NCAA tournament. Later, in the Sweet 16 round, the Aztecs were eliminated by eventual champions UConn (University of Connecticut) (2011).
Leonard decided to forego his junior year of college and was promptly drafted by the Indiana Pacers. On the other hand, he did not get any court time with the Pacers. Quickly, the Boston Celtics dealt Leonard to the San Antonio Spurs, where he would begin a hall of fame career under Popovich.
Kawhi was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team after his rookie year with the San Antonio Spurs. From 2011 to 2018, he remained a member of the Spurs, where he amassed a number of accolades, including the title of NBA Finals MVP and a pair of NBA titles.
Kawhi’s austere manner and mentality combined with his style of play and skills to give him the nickname “The Klaw.”
Leonard was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016. He is widely credited with interrupting the league’s most effective offensive players.
After seven years with the Spurs, the 2018 season saw Kawhi being sent to the Toronto Raptors in a trade. He won the NBA Finals MVP award for the second time in 2019 after leading the Toronto Raptors to their first championship.
Kawhi’s contract with the Spurs expired on June 30, 2019, and he promptly returned to his hometown of Los Angeles to sign with the LA Clippers as a free agency in July 2019. He will join the likes of Paul George, Lou Williams, and Serge Ibaka on the Clippers’ roster. Kawhi Leonard’s current annual salary is $23 million.
Leonard’s status as one of the best in the league was further cemented in the 2019 playoffs, when he scored 30 or more points on thirteen separate occasions. His on-court prowess is so high that he’s been compared to NBA all-stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.
