Stephen A Smith wants Kawhi Leonard to be playing more games than he did in the seasons when he was healthy.
In the preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kawhi Leonard made his first appearance since his return from injury. It had been his first game back since he suffered an injury during the playoffs against the Utah Jazz in 2021.
Kawhi finished the game with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals against the Blazers in addition to his other stats. The Los Angeles Clippers possess a formidable roster, and the key to their success is ensuring that their star players remain in good health.
It seems like Stephen A Smith couldn’t wait to talk about Kawhi Leonard. The famous analyst went off on the Clippers star and talked about how he needs to play more games this season than he has played in the previous season when he was healthy.
Stephen A Smith said, That damn Kawhi Leonard has gotten off the hook long enough. Enough of this. When we talk about a cat that is an absolute professional at missing games, Kawhi [Leonard], nobody beats him. He’s the 5x champion! 2017, played 9 games.”
He added, “The year they won in Toronto, they played 60 games, had load management, was healthy, they avoided back-to-backs, missed about 22 games. Next year with the Clippers, first year, he missed 25 games okay. Next year after that he missed 30 games. And then last year, he missed the whole season.”
Stephen A Smith claims the media doesn’t criticize Kawhi Leonard because he doesn’t talk much
Stephen A. Smith has a firm belief that the media has let the Clippers star off the hook and that they don’t criticize Kawhi Leonard because he doesn’t talk much. This is due to the fact that Leonard doesn’t talk much or use social media.
Stephen A Smith said, “This brother misses more games than a little bit and we never say anything because Kawhi Leonard don’t talk and because he doesn’t talk and he doesn’t make headlines with anything but his game, we’ve given him a pass.“
He continued, “Also because he’s a 2x champion and we know he”s all-world when on the court and healthy. But damn, you gotta play bro. You gotta play. I assure you he ain’t missing checks. Can we see you play please?”
Even though Stephen A Smith has urged Kawhi to play more this season, it doesn’t look like he will do that. It is because he is coming off a serious injury and both the player and the franchise will take care of handling his minutes throughout the regular season because they want him ready for the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be among the most formidable teams in the race for the NBA championship in the upcoming season. They have a team full of talented players, many of whom are coming back from injury, and as a result, they have a good chance of winning the entire tournament.
They have already demonstrated that they are a championship-winning combination, and if Kawhi Leonard hadn’t gotten injured against the Jazz the previous year, they would have won the title. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have already demonstrated that they are a championship-winning tandem. However, they will get another opportunity, and when it comes around, they will be more prepared.
They are quite fortunate to have Normann Powell and John Wall as two strong scorers on their team. When they’re on, they’re on, and their roster depth is unrivaled; no other team can compete with them. There is currently no team in the NBA that is strong enough to defeat them in a best-of-seven series if they can avoid getting injured.
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