The lead into the new NBA season was not good for the Los Angeles Clippers after another first-round playoff exit last season.
They lost star forward Paul George in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers, while veteran guard Russell Westbrook left to join the Denver Nuggets.
To make matters worse, Kawhi Leonard, who has had trouble staying healthy for years, was declared out indefinitely due to inflammation in his right knee.
The Clippers are 2-1 and face the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, and head coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard will still be out, along with center Mo Bamba for the next two games.
“He’s out for the next 2 games, that’s all I know. “I’m just focused on getting our guys ready to play… Those guys are coming in, they’re working every day to get better, but they’re out the next two games.”
Tyronn Lue on Kawhi Leonard and Mo Bamba
(via @TomerAzarly, pic.twitter.com/NH0Ja60fnO
– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 29 October 2024
When Leonard, as well as George, came to the Clippers in the summer of 2019, it was widely expected that he would lead them to an NBA championship.
But in five seasons together, they made only one trip to the Western Conference Finals and failed to reach the championship series, and Los Angeles has failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs in the past three years.
This season, there is a real possibility that they may not even make the playoffs, especially given the depth and parity of the Western Conference.
While 10-time All-Star guard James Harden is shooting just 36.2 percent from the field this season, center Ivica Zubac has stepped up, averaging 22.7 points and a league-high 14.0 rebounds per game.
Guard Norman Powell is also filling some of the shoes in Leonard’s absence by averaging an efficient 24.7 points per game.
next:
Tyronn Lue reveals his expectations for James Harden