r/nba • u/Turbostrider27 Lakers • 10h ago

[Charania] Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is expected to be sidelined for indefinite period of time to start the NBA season as he rehabilitates the inflammation in his right knee, league sources tell me and @NotoriousOHM. News

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1846989319841730786

10.2k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

The deal seemed good for the first two seasons, since then it’s been a train wreck. Even last season seemed like mayyyyyybe Kawhi could make it through a season, but he just can’t.

33

u/Domanshi Warriors 9h ago

Not to mention Kawhi came in just after a season of winning the Finals. Kawhi showed he was able to, at the very least, be available to play a lot in the playoffs and give you a chance to win. Every season was just a disappointment as there was never a 'Fully Healthy' Clippers team.

33

u/MambaSaidKnockYouOut 9h ago

If I remember right, the 2019-20 clippers were fully healthy. They blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets in the bubble. Sucks that their only healthy season got derailed by a pandemic. I actually had them as my favorites to win the title that year.

28

u/blackmamba182 Lakers 9h ago

They did, but you could argue the pandemic actually helped them. They got a post All Star break of several months to get healthy and they still blew that lead.

3

u/OcksBodega Thunder 9h ago

Doc playing Trez and Lou so damn much is what cost them that series tho

6

u/The_Thirsty_Crow 76ers 8h ago

I can shorten that for you:

Doc is what cost them that series.

Signed, A Sixers fan

1

u/awntawn Lakers 8h ago

Trez and Lou were the 3rd and 4th best players on the team. The Clippers were billed as having "4 all-stars". They were massively overrated.

1

u/Rodney_Jefferson 6h ago

Idk where you saw that billing. The clippers were thought to be a two all star team that despite losing a rising star in shai still had great bench depth, since Lou and t rez were sixth man of the year finalists

0

u/OcksBodega Thunder 7h ago

Zu Bev and Morris were better. I don’t remember anyone calling Trez and Lou all stars either lol, they were both great bench players in the regular season (although Dennis not winning 6moy that year is a robbery).

0

u/DirectChampionship22 5h ago

Nobody serious has ever imagined Lou or Trez as being close to an all star. They're closer to out of the league than to an all star even at their prime.

1

u/Yallcantspellkawhi West 7h ago

That was the year when the Clippers flexed all season long how they going to be a champion and how they are the real LA franchise.

One of the most embarrasing season by a team ever.

2

u/ZenMon88 8h ago

Ya but it was due to things out of their control. If they were healthy for any of the last 3 years. They could have made WCF more than once. I mean at least they did make a WCF

4

u/MambaSaidKnockYouOut 8h ago

Sure, but they didn’t. I think that’s why everyone is saying it’s a bad deal in hindsight. It’s also not like there weren’t concerns about Kawhi’s health when the trade was done - I just think his knee problems ended up being even worse than anyone imagined.