Kawhi Leonard

2022 - 10 - 21

Post cover — Image courtesy of "NBC Sports"

Clippers reportedly considering bringing Kawhi Leonard off the bench (NBC Sports)

In their quest to keep the minutes down for Kawhi Leonard this season, the Clippers are reportedly considering bringing him off the bench.

Rookie [Jalen Duren](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/66332/jalen-duren) might be a steal, he had 14 off the bench. But the Pelicans challenged the Nets and ran right over them — the toughness and grit needed to win in the NBA was not on display. Bojan Bogdanovic had 24 points as the veteran, and A win that helps exorcize the demons of last season. With Luka Doncic running the show, the Mavericks were up by 22 and seemingly in total control of the game. Jonas Valanciunas had 13 rebounds to go with his 15 points, and he was a big part of the Pelicans dominating in the paint. Two huge shots from Damion Lee capped off a dramatic and cathartic comeback. The Pelicans grabbed the offensive rebound on 45.3% of their missed shots — 21 offensive boards — on their way to 36 second-chance points (the Nets had four). Kevin Durant looked great, scoring 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting, and he even had four blocks. On offense he looked like an awkward fit trying to figure out how to playoff off Kevin Durant and The scary thing for the rest of the league? The talent on the roster is unquestionable, but does this team have the grit, the toughness, the determination to push through when things get hard?

Clippers' Kawhi Leonard to come off the bench on opening night vs ... (CBSSports.com)

He was in his second season in the NBA, and it was his first game back in the lineup after missing about a month with quadriceps tendinitis. Before his return, ...

This isn't the playoffs, but with Leonard out of the starting lineup for the Clippers' season opener against the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAL/los-angeles-lakers/), Curry has some competition for the title of Greatest Fake Sixth Man Ever. [cautious approach](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kawhi-leonard-fully-cleared-for-training-camp-clippers-will-be-very-cautious-lawrence-frank-says/) to Leonard's return from a torn ACL. [Kawhi Leonard](/nba/players/1715792/kawhi-leonard/) came off the bench, he was 21 years old. Load management is nothing new for Leonard, and if he's going to be on a strict minutes limit, this move makes it simpler for the coaching staff to manage the rotation and make sure he's available at the end of games. He even started most of his games as a rookie. Before his return, he spent some time rehabbing with the [San Antonio Spurs](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/SA/san-antonio-spurs/)' G League affiliate, then called the Austin Toros.

Kawhi Leonard to come off bench for LA Clippers' opener (ESPN Australia)

The Clippers will have Kawhi Leonard come off the bench Thursday night against the Lakers in his regular-season return from an ACL injury.

"He has to understand that, as great as he is, that it is not going to just come overnight. "We had a chance to bring him off the bench, start him, see how he looks and feels," Lue said. There are going to be some times where he looks like Kawhi Leonard, there are going to be some times where he is just trying to get a feel and not playing well. "Just want to have him for the end of the game, if we need him," Lue said before the contest. Coming off his ACL injury, Leonard said he pretty much spent 12 to 13 months in the gym working out and adding more muscle. [San Antonio Spurs](/nba/team/_/name/sa/san-antonio-spurs) in 2013-14 when he played as a reserve on Nov.

Why did Kawhi Leonard come off the bench? Clippers coach Tyronn ... (Sporting News AU)

Kawhi Leonard is finally healthy enough to suit up for the Clippers, but he wasn't on the court for Thursday's opening tip against the Lakers.

— 52 57 60 9 74 72 64 Games started Games It's going to be a process. And I just thought whatever is best for him, whatever makes him feel better.

Report: Kawhi Leonard Potentially Coming off Bench Against Lakers (Sports Illustrated)

The report is a very interesting one for multiple reasons. One, Kawhi Leonard started games during the preseason and said he was feeling great. Two, the LA ...

If Kawhi Leonard does come off of the bench against the Lakers, it would be an incredibly stacked bench lineup for the Clippers. AllClippers spoke to some sources on the Clippers, and none of them knew that Reggie starting was the definite plan five days before opening night. Haynes also reported that Reggie Jackson would be starting for the LA Clippers on opening night roughly about a week before their opening night.

Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight? Start time, TV channel and live ... (Sporting News)

Here is the latest on Kawhi Leonard's status for the Clippers' matchup with the Lakers.

Oct. 7 p.m. - Time: 10 p.m. For a limited time only, Sling subscribers can watch every NBA League Pass game for free! For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $46/month. Stream Sling Orange for $35/month to catch all regular season games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. Viewers can also stream the game on Watch TNT or Sling TV. Lakers will air on TNT. Leonard is entering his fourth season with the Clippers. Lakers, clearing the way for his return. can watch the biggest games of the 2022-23 NBA season on Sling TV. There was some hope that he would play during the 2021-22 season, but he ended up missing all 82 games.

Kawhi Leonard to come off bench for LA Clippers' opener (ESPN.co.uk)

The Clippers will have Kawhi Leonard come off the bench Thursday night against the Lakers in his regular-season return from an ACL injury.

"He has to understand that, as great as he is, that it is not going to just come overnight. "We had a chance to bring him off the bench, start him, see how he looks and feels," Lue said. There are going to be some times where he looks like Kawhi Leonard, there are going to be some times where he is just trying to get a feel and not playing well. Coming off his ACL injury, Leonard said he pretty much spent 12 to 13 months in the gym working out and adding more muscle. "Just want to have him for the end of the game, if we need him," Lue said before the contest. [San Antonio Spurs](/nba/team/_/name/sa/san-antonio-spurs) in 2013-14 when he played as a reserve on Nov.

Kawhi Leonard to come off bench for LA Clippers' opener (ESPN)

The Clippers will have Kawhi Leonard come off the bench Thursday night against the Lakers in his regular-season return from an ACL injury.

Injury Report: Kawhi Leonard Reveals Plan For Upcoming Back-to ... (Sports Illustrated)

The LA Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard for one of their next two games against the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.

Not only is Phoenix the superior opponent, but that game is the home opener, which is something the Clippers likely want Kawhi to be a part of. The most likely outcome for Leonard on this upcoming back-to-back would be resting against the Kings and playing against the Suns. Saturday's game will be in Sacramento, while Sunday will be the home opener.

Kawhi Leonard returns to the NBA to be a star in his role — on his time (The Athletic)

LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard moves different. Yes, that is a description for the two-time NBA Finals MVP as a basketball player. The way Leonard takes his ...

Leonard shed [Russell Westbrook](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook-6Eb0XPY16UzzJWbc/) on a baseline out of bounds, feeding [Ivica Zubac](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/ivica-zubac-OTPpn38MDEHT1u47/) for an alley-oop. Leonard, along with [Paul George](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/paul-george-kIIUTtsJtSpaZfu1/) and [Norman Powell](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/norman-powell-hiYUGADQy1AEo1fw/), went to the baseball game. [Patrick Beverley](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/patrick-beverley-un2M7ixIUPcicY97/) to draw free throws. [Robert Covington](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/robert-covington-u9E829AVwz1EFYDu/) during the national anthem. “I was just locked in on the game, nothing really,” Mann said to The Athletic about the anticipation of the crowd to see Leonard enter. At one point, [Terance Mann](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/terance-mann-5ckD9JvYcPCUx6NM/) got off the bench before Lue called him back with about two minutes left in the first quarter. [LeBron James](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/lebron-james-dxRvkEThnxpMbhcr/) belatedly spiked Wall’s layup for a goaltending violation. 10, 2013](https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Popovich-shuffles-starters-to-handle-Anthony-4973249.php), as his [San Antonio Spurs](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/spurs/) visited the [New York Knicks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/knicks/). That was seen Thursday night when the [LA Clippers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/clippers/) defeated the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/lakers/) 103-97 in Leonard’s return from right knee surgery. [Portland Trail Blazers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/blazers/). Leonard started another preseason game six days later against the [Minnesota Timberwolves](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/timberwolves/). Everyone had to wait for the second game in Seattle, when Leonard started against the

Kawhi Leonard Downplays Bench Role in First Game Back From Injury (Sports Illustrated)

Kawhi Leonard played his first official NBA game since the 2021 playoffs on Thursday night, and he came off the Clippers bench as the team tries to load ...

He has had an extensive injury history, so Los Angeles plans on limiting his minutes to start the year, but Leonard did come off the bench to begin his career with the Spurs, so it isn’t completely new to him. As part of his load management plan, the Lakers, Leonard played 21 minutes and scored 14 points as part of a 103-97 win. “This is how I started my career. That’s how I approached it, mentally. [Kawhi Leonard](https://www.si.com/nba/player/kawhi-leonard) played his first official NBA game since the 2021 playoffs on Thursday night, and he came off the [Clippers](https://www.si.com/nba/team/los-angeles-clippers) bench as the team tries to load manage him this season.

Kawhi Leonard Speaks On Decision to Come Off the Bench Versus ... (SLAM Online)

After returning to the court after surgery and rehab for an ACL injury, Kawhi Leonard decided to come off the bench in the Clippers' recent game versus the ...

No timetable was revealed for how long Leonard plans to come off the bench instead of starting. We wanna get in the playoffs and want me to play in the playoffs.” In just 21 minutes off the bench, Leonard played well. “You gotta gradually play minutes in order to get the ACL strong,” Leonard said. Returning from an injury like that is not easy, and some players never return the same. In a post-game interview with Ohm Youngmisuk, Leonard said the following;

Clippers on why Kawhi Leonard came off bench in win over Lakers (Los Angeles Times)

The Clippers decided to start the season with Kawhi Leonard coming off the bench in an effort to keep him fresh for key stretches and end of games.

“Tonight’s how it’s going to go and we’ll see how it goes from there.” “He has to understand that as great as he is, it’s not going to come overnight. The five-time All-Star point guard, 32, made his first two jump shots from the midrange before darting to the rim for a layup that showed the quickness the Clippers believed was a missing element. “It was long,” Leonard said. “I thought he looked good,” Lue said. After sitting the entire first quarter Leonard played the final six minutes 25 seconds remaining before halftime, checking in with the Clippers holding a 12-point lead.

Kawhi Leonard

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