Clippers Notes: Kawhi Debuts, Clippers Reset, Staffer’s Lawsuit

Six-time All-Star Clippers Wing Kawhi Leonard He scored 12 factors whereas enjoying in restricted time in his first look of the 2024/25 season on Saturday. San Diego State was solely related for 19 minutes of the workforce’s 131-105 win over Atlanta.

per ESPN’s Baxter HolmesThe 33-year-old thought of that his return to the courtroom was pretty clean.

“(There was) nothing tough to play tonight.” The 2-time Finals MVP stated. “We have made the best strikes to get me so far, and enjoying basketball was the simple a part of it. That is what I like to do. The toughest half isn’t enjoying and having to rehab and never competing with my teammates.”

Leonard has been affected by irritation in his proper knee since Sport 3 of the workforce’s first-round loss to the Mavericks final April. He underwent a process to handle the problem within the offseason.

“We nonetheless make the sport simpler for me.” Leonard stated. “Anyone desires me to attain 20 or 30 factors or be aggressive, we’re not in a time-frame. We all know what’s forward of us, and we have to maintain constructing in the best path. So we’re dealing with it prefer it’s a prep recreation tonight, and we will preserve shifting with the identical perspective.” The way in which so I can construct my minutes.

There’s extra from Los Angeles:

• Kawhi LeonardA return to motion would naturally enhance the postseason ceiling for the Clippers, who’ve carried out strongly in his absence. Lou Murray of The Athletic Factors out that the two-time Defensive Participant of the 12 months served primarily as a task participant throughout his first recreation of the yr. Murray provides that Los Angeles stepped up their efforts over the summer time, figuring out that Leonard would doubtless be out for a very long time. The Clippers have turned their offense over to the membership’s high-scoring backcourt James Harden and Norman Powellwhereas bringing in new versatile defensive items on the wing equivalent to Chris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr And again Nicolas Batum. Los Angeles went 19-15 with out its greatest two-way participant. Now, Leonard should be built-in into the membership’s present system. “In fact he was restricted to 1 minute, however definitely from what we noticed, or what we’ve got seen thus far, it was incredible.” Jones stated. “Even the occasions when he was in coaching, he was nice. He was making an attempt, making an attempt to get again to full situation. That is all we are able to ask for, and we love him.”
• Even earlier than Deposit The wrongful termination lawsuit he filed with the Clippers in October claimed Los Angeles rigged the contract with Kawhi Leonard in free company round 2019, and demanded hundreds of thousands from former energy and conditioning coach Randy Shelton, Holmes reported in Another piece. On Thursday, Los Angeles requested that the lawsuit be settled by arbitration.
• In case you missed it, the Clippers are a two-way participant Jordan Miller Being It is considered To maneuver as much as a spot on Los Angeles’ normal 15-man roster.