Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will miss the next few games due to an ankle sprain. The injury occurred during Monday’s 120-119 loss to the Heat, which caused him to miss the last three games. Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters he will miss “the next few games” when speaking with reporters recently.
Injuries have been an all-too-familiar storyline for Leonard in his career. He has only played more than 60 games once since the 2016-17 season, which includes playing nine games in 2017-18 and missing the entirety of the 2021-22 season. The two-time Finals MVP was limited to 37 games last year in a clear effort by Los Angeles to preserve him for the postseason.
Leonard suited up for the first six games this year before the ankle injury popped up. The six-time All-Star was rotating out to the perimeter on defense before his ankle rolled and led to this current absence. When he has been on the court, he is averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
The Clippers are off to a 3-6 start to the season and are tied for 11th place in the Western Conference. It is still too early to panic, but the talent level in the conference is deep and the veteran squad needs to begin turning things around soon.
Currently, the Clippers still hold -210 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook to qualify for the playoffs. They also hold the eighth-best odds of winning the Western Conference at +2500 and +4500 odds of winning the NBA Championship.
Los Angeles will be back in action on Monday to take on the Atlanta Hawks.
Stay tuned to DK Network for live updates surrounding Leonard’s outlook and all other notable players.
