seKaKicking off the top 15 in our ongoing top 25 player rankings is Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers. Kawhi is a star two-way wing who has managed to produce impressive numbers battling through his age and a plethora of injuries in the process. However, despite this, the pressure remains on Leonard to find success with the Clippers as his era in Los Angeles has underwhelming at best.
Top 25 NBA players 2023-24: No. 15 Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard: An aging two-way star:
Kawhi has long been considered one of the best players in basketball; he has hovered around the top 10 for the better part of the decade. After winning his second championship and finals MVP in 2019 Leonard was undeniably a top 3 player he even had a case for being the league’s best player. However, in the years removed from his incredible championship run with the Raptors, Leonard’s time with the Clippers has been riddled with injuries and filled with disappointment. At 32, with a long history of injuries including a 2021 ACL injury and another knee injury in 2023 a drop in rankings is justified for Leonard. While he is still a high-impact two-way wing. Kawhi is no longer the elite best of the best two-way wing injuries and availability are massive factors with Leonard’s drop.
Season Recap:
Last year marked the 4th year of the Kawhi and Paul George pairing. As each year goes on the Clippers urgency to win a title increases. Therefore, frustration is quickly beginning to grow within the organization. Last season was Leonard’s first year back from an ACL injury in 2021. While Leonard initially got off to a slow start and at an advanced age with a history of injuries his body is no longer the same. However, Leonard bounced back and finished the season on a high note. Leonard’s scoring averages jumped from 20 ppg in the first 20 games to 27 ppg in the last 20 games.
All while playing more like his normal self defensively. Leonard notably continued his strategy of frequent load management last year. The Clippers entered the playoffs as a 5 seed but faced a difficult matchup against the star-studded Suns team. The matchup was made even more difficult due to Paul George’s knee injury. Leonard played in the first games against the Suns. The Clippers split the first 2 games, scoring over 30 in both games. Including a 38-point outburst from Leonard in a game-one upset win. Leonard would go down with a knee injury a missed the remainder of the series. The Clippers ultimately would lose in 5 games. This season came with frustration, injuries, and a closing window. The Clippers have to produce some substantial success to make something out of this star era.
Season Outlook: a Prove it Year for Kawhi Leonard:
After another disappointing season injury-wise, the pressure is on the Clippers to win at a high level this year. The Clippers have been rumored to be contenders in both the James Harden sweepstakes. This type of move could finally get LA over the hump. As things stand now the top priorities for the Clippers should be remaining competitive in the West and taking the regular season more seriously.
While some injuries are uncontrollable the Clippers load management strategy may ironically cause more injuries. The NBA’s new rule regarding sitting out multiple stars in one night impacts the Clippers more than any other team. However, Kawhi’s media day comments confirmed he won’t adjust his approach to the regular season and he will continue to practice load management. Which is a concerning sign for the Clippers. If the Clippers don’t change their approach to the regular season and or produce another disappointing season this could very well be the last year with this duo. The optimistic side is that the Clippers have one of the most talented rosters in the league and if they can remain healthy they could contend for a title.
The Last Word:
The once MVP top 3 level player was arguably the best two-way player in the league. He terrorized opponents on the defensive end. However, he has now slightly regressed. This is no knock on Leonard. Ultimately a combination of factors contributed to Leonard’s decline in the rankings. Including, his age, injuries, availability, and overall inconsistency over the past few years. Leonard’s ranking can go in either direction. He can bounce back, prove himself, and have success with the Clippers, resulting in him rising in the rankings. Alternatively, Leonard’s problems could carry on or worsen resulting in him declining in future rankings.
