Los Angeles – Kawai Leonard‘s return came off the bench for the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening game against the hosts Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
Leonard scored 14 goals in 21 minutes in a 103–97 win.
Clippers coach Ty Lu said the decision to take Leonard off the bench was a joint decision between Leonard and the team’s medical staff and was largely based on how Leonard was feeling.
Lou also said it was a decision on how the Clippers wanted to spread out Leonard’s limited time to start the season.
“If I need him, I just want him at the end of the game,” Lou said before the contest. “Just for him, he wanted the best for the team. And I thought what was best for him, whatever made him feel better. He how would you feel?”
Asked if this was Leonard’s idea, Lou replied, “How does he feel, yes.”
Lou also made it clear Reggie Jackson start from point guard John WallMissed all of last season with the Houston Rockets, runs a second unit. Wall scored 15 points in his 25 minutes of action, two more than Jackson.
Leonard hasn’t played in a meaningful game since tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in Game 4 of the second round against the Utah Jazz on June 14, 2021. Lou said the decision was not based on any setbacks to Leonard’s return.
“Good,” Leonard said Wednesday when asked how he finished the preseason. “I still feel good.
Leonard is off the bench for the first time since his third season with the San Antonio Spurs in 2013-14, playing as a reserve for the New York Knicks on November 10.
Leonard said he doesn’t play 5-on-5 basketball during the offseason and usually doesn’t play until training camp. After being freed from his ACL injury, Leonard says he spent 12-13 months working out and adding muscle at the gym.
Lou said the Clippers scrimped Leonard off the bench “about a couple of times” this past week.
“We had the opportunity to take him off the bench, start him and see what he looks like and how he feels,” Lou said. “This is what he felt comfortable with, and it’s clearly what we’re trying to do.”
Lue said this could be a very short-lived idea. It’s all based on Leonard’s feelings moving forward.
“He hasn’t played in 15-16 months,” Lou said. “You can’t expect him to be great every night. He needs to figure that out, too. It’s going to be a process. Sometimes he looks like Kawhi Leonard, other times he looks like Kawhi Leonard. ”He’s just trying to get a feel for it, and he’s not playing well.
“He needs to understand that as great as he is, it doesn’t come overnight. I have to endure.”
