The LA Clippers are still dealing with Kawhi Leonard’s injury troubles

Over the past few years, the Los Angeles Clippers have often been tapped as one of the top NBA teams in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, that is not the case for the upcoming 2024/25 season because most people are concerned with the team’s ceiling due to Kawhi Leonard’s frequent injury troubles.

The season has not started, but Kawhi is battling right knee inflammation. When it was announced that he would miss the preseason, most people expected him to play by the time the regular season starts, but he will likely miss the opening game against the Phoenix Suns.

“We’re out here. He has not been apart of what we've been doing on a daily basis. I know the company line has been that we're going to be patient with him,” Assistant coach Brian Shaw said about Kawhi. “He's doing everything that he can to rehab it and strengthen that knee on his own with our medical staff and we just dealing with the guys that we have.”

Leonard is not practicing with the Clippers yet

The news that made the Clippers fans livid was that Kawhi has not practiced with the team yet. That is a big deal because he has not ramped up yet, so a return to in-game shape will take up a lot of time.

In the meantime, Coach Ty Lue has revealed his starting lineup for the upcoming regular season. He is preparing the team to play with or without Kawhi because the injury might be too challenging to return quickly.

A starting lineup of James Harden, Norman Powell, Terrance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac is what Coach Lue has planned. That does not instill much fear in the rest of the NBA because they do not have that superstar talent like Leonard. Harden is still a big name, but he has regressed from his time in Houston.

If Kawhi continues to miss games, that does not bode well for the Clippers this season. They want to make the Playoffs, but having one of their superstars missing a large chunk of the season could lead to a mediocre campaign.

Harden is a talented star player but is not the same superstar as before. He could still lead this team but lost his explosiveness and natural scoring. Having Kawhi to support him will be crucial, but he must recover first, as a return from a setback will get delayed.

Related: Kawhi Leonard to sit out the rest of the preseason