Leonard’s Careful Approach to Recovery
Kawhi Leonard, star of the LA Clippers, and the team’s medical department have been working diligently with various treatment strategies to control inflammation in his right knee that has been surgically repaired since the end of last season. Despite the reduced inflammation, Leonard will sit out the upcoming training camp to ensure full strength recovery.
Lawrence Frank, president of the Clippers, expressed on Tuesday that the swelling in Leonard’s knee is going down “significantly”. However, Frank was noncommittal about Leonard’s readiness for the regular season, stressing that the recovery timeline depends largely on how his knee responds to each stage of healing.
The Road to Full Power: The Game Plan for Leonard and the Clippers
The Clippers and Leonard are fighting to fully strengthen the knee to prevent a recurrence of the stubborn inflammation that limited Leonard to just two games during the Mavericks’ six-game winning streak in the first round of the playoffs.
Ty Lue, the head coach of the Clippers, said that there is no specific plan to put Leonard into practice, stressing that they will rely on the team’s medical staff for guidance. Frank revealed that the focus will be on training the strength of Leonard’s knee before he returns to the court.
Learning from Past Lessons
“We are focused on strengthening and loading the goods,” said Frank, adding, “We have gained some understanding. He was eager to return and play in the Dallas series, and within a game and a half, the swelling returned to unmanageable levels. We don’t want to repeat that situation.”
Leonard’s Early Injury and Recovery
Leonard missed the final eight games of the regular season because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. He was able to return in Games 2 and 3 against Dallas, missing the remaining three games of the Clippers’ first-round loss.
Despite chronic inflammation, Leonard was able to participate in USA Basketball’s camp in July, but was eventually replaced by Celtics guard Derrick White.
Hope Surrounds Leonard’s Recovery
Frank, speaking about the current condition of Leonard’s knee, said, “We got the knee in a very good place.” He added, “It was easy for him to come back to Dallas [playoffs]but we really used the off-season to get this 100% and we’re getting closer.”
This season, the Clippers and Leonard are leaving no stone unturned to avoid inflammation becoming an ongoing problem. Frank, citing the progress that has been made, said Tuesday, “This has been a really tricky thing in terms of inflammation. We’re always looking for solutions, and over time we continue to learn more about what works, what doesn’t. Although it is unfortunate that you had to experience this, we are moving in the right direction.”