Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the NBA, although he has proven to be a bit injury-prone over the last few years. During last year's playoffs, Kawhi suffered a knee injury that kept him out all the way through the Western Conference Finals. Had he been healthy, there is a good chance the team would have gone to the NBA Finals, however, it's not exactly something the team wants to dwell on.
Since that time, it was revealed that Kawhi had an ACL injury that required surgery. In the eyes of many, Kawhi is going to be out for the entire season, although some fans seem optimistic that he can come back. In a report from ESPN yesterday, Clippers president Lawrence Frank put the kibosh on some of these rumors noting that the team has no timeline for Kawhi and that they will not be forcing one.
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"Oh, we don't even breach that," Frank said. "I think at this point, it's just no one knows when you're dealing with a recovery from an ACL [injury], the time frame. Even just to save you guys [from asking] throughout the year, is no one knows. You just attack it day by day, he has a very detailed plan with a great group and we'll just let his body and the doctors tell us when it's the right time."
If Kawhi were to come back this season, it would probably be closer to the playoffs, which means the Clippers would be set up for a run. Regardless, the team doesn't want to speculate, and with a player like Kawhi, you don't want to rush things.
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[Via]
