UPDATE: Leonard is expected to make his season debut Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks.
After more than two months on the bench, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is nearing his much-anticipated season debut. Per The Athletic’s Law Murray, Los Angeles’ superstar is hoping to return on January 4th against the Hawks.
The six-time All-Star has missed the first 30 games of the season due to right knee injury recovery. It’s the latest in a long line of ailments for the former Finals MVP; he’s played in just 120 out of a potential 194 contests over the past three seasons (61.8%). With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a shock to see L.A.’s coaching staff keep their best player on a strict minutes limit going forward.
A healthy Leonard certainly boosts Los Angeles’ playoff hopes. The veteran has averaged 20.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals over 12 seasons in the NBA. His return would eat into the production of James Harden (22.0 PPG) and Norman Powell (24.1 PPG).
The 17-13 Clippers’ odds to reach the postseason currently sit at -130, with +2200 odds to win the Western Conference on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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