Kawhi Leonard

Pacific Notes: Leonard, Bol, Kings, Murray, Ellis

Limited by injuries, veteran forward Kawhi Leonard appeared in just four playoff games for the Clippers from 2022-24 and wasn’t himself last spring, scoring just 24 total points in the two postseason appearances he was able to make. So it was a welcome sight to see a healthy Leonard in peak form on Monday in Denver, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Leonard was dominant on both ends of the court, scoring 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting and holding Nuggets players to five points on 2-of-12 shooting when he was the primary defender, per Shelburne. Led by their star forward, the Clippers pulled out a 105-102 win to even the series at one game apiece.

“I’m just happy that I’m able to move,” Leonard said after the game. “That’s what I’m taking pride in is just being healthy. I sat and watched these playoff games and series the past two years. So being able to be front-line out there, it just feels good for me no matter which way the game goes.”

While Leonard has faced criticism over the years due to a perception that he requires constant “load management,” teammate James Harden made it clear that Leonard has worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to get back to 100% and to turn in performances like Monday’s.

“It’s every single day. It’s the preparation. It’s like the treatment, it’s strengthening, you know what I mean, of body, it’s correctives and then it’s going on court and putting it all together,” Harden said. “Luck hasn’t been on his side or whatever case you might call it. But he loves to hoop. And as you see, when he’s on the court, he’s a killer. So I’m glad he’s in a good space right now.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Suns forward Bol Bol played relatively well as a regular part of the rotation for about a month after the trade deadline, then logged just 29 total minutes across six outings in Phoenix’s final 16 games. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (YouTube link; Twitter video link), the decision to remove Bol from the rotation stemmed from an incident during a March 12 game vs. Houston. Former head coach Mike Budenholzer was “irate” over the fact that Bol made no effort to come to his teammate’s defense during an altercation between Mason Plumlee and Steven Adams, shooting layups away from the crowd as other players converged on the scrum (Twitter video link).
  • In a YouTube video and an Insider-only ESPN.com article, Bobby Marks of ESPN explores what’s on tap for the Kings this summer after a disappointing 2024/25 season that resulted in a change atop their front office. While much of the focus in Sacramento will be on Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, who have earned a combined 11 All-Star nods, Marks points out that the team will also face decisions on Keegan Murray, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension, and Keon Ellis, who could be made a restricted free agent if his team option is declined.
  • Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee also considers the next steps for the Kings, noting that new general manager Scott Perry will have to “reestablish a sense of direction and trust” within the organization and will have to make several major decisions, starting with whether or not to retain head coach Doug Christie.

L.A. Notes: Reaves, Lakers’ Title Chances, Kawhi, Zubac

The Lakers and head coach JJ Redick made good on their preseason comments about keeping Austin Reaves involved in the offense, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times notes. The end result paid off, with Reaves becoming a contender for Most Improved Player after averaging career highs of 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 46.0% from the field and 37.7% on three-pointers.

As Woike writes, Reaves was included in a gathering with LeBron James and Luka Doncic in March, planting him within the team’s big three.

Them being able to accept that challenge of figuring something out on the fly in the middle of a season — we challenged all three of those guys on that,” Redick said. “And Austin’s great to coach, awesome to coach. And, he’s accepted every challenge and exceeded any sort of baseline level of response that we could expect from him.

We have more from Los Angeles:

  • The Lakers acquired a generational star at the deadline and posted their first 50-win season since the 2019/20 championship. But is that enough to make them a legitimate title contender this year? Mark Medina of RG writes that the Lakers’ window is open and that Reaves is a huge part of that. Additionally, the Lakers have rebuilt their depth and their three stars are playing well together, which should give the team “justified confidence” in winning it all, according to Medina.
  • Injuries have hampered Kawhi Leonard‘s time with the Clippers, but he looks good ahead of the team’s first-round series against Denver. According to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register, both the organization and Leonard trusted each other to get back to this point and win 50 games. “Giving [training staff president] Maggie Bryant a chance to show him some different things and different ways to be a hundred percent at the end of the season and do things a different way [was beneficial],” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “So her, along with Kawhi’s group, did a good job. The biggest thing is just trusting.” As Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes, Leonard has maintained his love for basketball through the injuries. “I love the game. I love the game and I have a passion for it still. I love to compete out there. So, that’s pretty much what drives me back,” Leonard said.
  • Clippers center Ivica Zubac is enjoying the best season of his career and is riding the momentum into a series-long matchup with Nikola Jokic, Carr writes in another piece. “He understands the game, the game has slowed down a lot for him to where he understands who he’s playing against and who he’s guarding and so he’s effective on both ends of the ball,” teammate James Harden said of Zubac. “You know, for guys like me my job is just trying to make it easy for him … to get him touches. But he’s worked his butt off.” In March and April, the big man averaged 19.9 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night.

Pacific Notes: Warriors Vs. Clippers, Reaves, Redick, Kuminga

Sunday is the final day of the regular season, but the matchup between the Warriors and Clippers is virtually a playoff game, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The winner will wrap up an automatic playoff berth, while the loser could slip to seventh place and a spot in the play-in tournament.

“High stakes, huh?” Clippers center Ivica Zubac said after Friday’s one-point victory at Sacramento. “It’s been like that forever. Imagine if we didn’t win all these games.”

L.A. has won all three meetings between the teams this season, but they haven’t faced each other since December 27. That was about a week before Kawhi Leonard made his season debut after missing the first 34 games due to knee issues and a little more than a month before Golden State added Jimmy Butler in a major deadline trade. Both teams have been moving up the standings since then, heading toward Sunday’s clash.

“It’s basketball. The outcome is going to tell what happens,” Leonard said. “So, it’s just going out and playing, that’s all you can do. Play and have fun. Everybody wants to win coming down the stretch.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • After wrapping up the No. 3 seed Friday night, the Lakers are very confident as they approach the playoffs, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Austin Reaves said it felt like five regular seasons wrapped into one because of all the roster changes, but the team wound up in a good place. “We feel very comfortable with what we got in the locker room, from front office, coaching staff to players,” Reaves said. “We’re all locked into one goal and that’s to win a championship. We can play different ways and then we got the best player to ever play the game (in LeBron James) and then probably, arguably (someone who is) going to be one of the best players to ever play the game with Luka (Doncic). And then around that, we have guys that are just bought into winning and that’s what you need when you’re trying to make a run like that.”
  • The Lakers made a great decision by hiring J.J. Redick as head coach and were fortunate that UConn’s Dan Hurley turned down their six-year, $70MM offer last June, contends columnist Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required).
  • Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Friday that he hasn’t given up on a front line of Butler, Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga, even though the experiment hasn’t gone well so far, according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Golden State has a minus-24.9 net rating in the 38 minutes they’ve been on the court together, and Gordon notes that none of them can stretch the floor as a consistent three-point threat. Gordon also observes that the Butler trade left Kuminga with a reduced role. “He’s handled things really well. He’s working. He’s staying ready. He’s playing hard when he’s out there,” Kerr said. “But the bottom line is when we traded for Jimmy, Draymond became our (power forward) and (center).”

Leonard, Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter link), while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has won the award in the East.

Leonard helped guide the Clips to a perfect 4-0 week for games played from March 31 to April 6, averaging 24.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals on .513/.381/.857 shooting.

The two-time Finals MVP missed the first 35 games of the season due to a knee injury, but he has rounded into form at a critical time, scoring 20-plus points in each of the past 12 games. Los Angeles is currently the No. 5 seed in a remarkably close Western Conference playoff race.

Antetokounmpo was spectacular in leading the Bucks to three victories last week (he missed one game, which Milwaukee also won), averaging 36.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 13.7 assists and 1.7 steals on .638/.500/.838 shooting.

The 30-year-old superstar’s efforts helped the Bucks secure their ninth straight playoff appearance. Milwaukee is currently 44-34, the East’s No. 5 seed.

This is Antetokounmpo’s third Player of the Week award in 2024/25, and 26th of his career. It’s the first time Leonard has earned the weekly honor this season, and 10th time in his career.

Despite averaging 45.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 2.0 steals on .620/.448/.800 shooting in three appearances last week, including an incredible 61-point triple-double, Nikola Jokic somehow wasn’t nominated for the West’s award, presumably because the Nuggets went 0-4 (he missed one game).

Instead, Leonard beat out Deni Avdija, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Austin Reaves, Alperen Sengun and teammate Ivica Zubac. The other nominees in the East were OG Anunoby, Donovan Mitchell, Magic forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Bulls guards Josh Giddey and Coby White, and Pacers teammates Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner (Twitter link).

Clippers To Use Kawhi Leonard In Back-To-Back For First Time This Season

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will be active for Saturday’s rematch with the Mavericks after playing 24 minutes in Friday’s win over Dallas, according to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda (Twitter link). Leonard is likely to be on a restriction of about 25-30 minutes, adds Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).

This marks the first back-to-back of the season for Leonard, which is a significant development, especially so close to the playoffs. It’s a sign that the Clippers are fully confident in the state of his right knee, which required an offseason surgical procedure that kept Leonard out of action until early January.

“Kawhi has trying to do it for some time now, playing in back to backs, but our medical staff has been very cautious with making sure everything is right,” coach Tyronn Lue told reporters.

L.A. cruised to a 114-91 victory on Friday, so Leonard and the rest of the starters didn’t have to play heavy minutes. He was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points, making 8-of-17 shots from the field, while adding six assists and two rebounds.

Leonard has been expanding his workload lately, playing 38 minutes Wednesday against New Orleans, 39 minutes Monday at Orlando and 41 minutes March 26 at New York. The Clippers have won the last five games with him in the lineup.

Injuries have been a major part of Leonard’s story over the past decade, especially in the playoffs. He was only able to appear in two postseason games last year before being sidelined by knee inflammation, which eventually led to the surgery.

The Clippers will need him as much as possible down the stretch, as they’re locked in an intense battle for playoff positioning. L.A. entered the night in a three-way tie with Minnesota and Memphis for sixth place in the West and could potentially finish anywhere from third to eighth.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Hield, Morant, Curry, Kawhi

Asked on Wednesday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link) about possible offseason trade destinations for Kevin Durant, ESPN’s Shams Charania said there was mutual interest between the Suns‘ star and a handful of potential suitors ahead of February’s trade deadline. According to Charania, that list of teams included the Timberwolves, Knicks, Rockets, Spurs, and Heat.

“Those are the types of teams, from my understanding, that had interest then,” Charania said. “And I expect them all to be in the mix this offseason.”

Charania didn’t explicitly mention the Warriors, but that’s likely due to the fact that Durant was known to be resistant to a Golden State reunion in February. If his stance changes this summer, it’s possible the Warriors could once again emerge as a suitor.

One report this week suggested that Durant is open to the idea of returning to Phoenix next season, but a trade still appears to be the most likely outcome. Unlike in February when the Suns unilaterally gauged the market for the veteran forward without consulting him, the team and Durant’s camp would likely work together on any deal this offseason, Charania notes.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • The NBA is looking into an incident from Tuesday’s Warriors/Grizzlies game when Golden State sharpshooter Buddy Hield and Memphis guard Ja Morant aimed finger-gun gestures at one another, according to Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. A video of that brief interaction can be found here (via Twitter). The NBA has fined players for that gesture in the past and is likely especially sensitive to this case since Morant has been suspended twice in the past for waving around an actual gun in social media videos.
  • Stephen Curry racked up 52 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and five steals in the Warriors‘ win over Memphis on Tuesday and told reporters after the game that he feels rejuvenated after taking a week off to recover from a pelvic injury in March, per ESPN. “I feel in a good rhythm,” Curry said. “The week off helped. The tank is pretty full.” Steve Kerr said a couple weeks ago that he wanted to get Curry some rest, but the Warriors coach no longer seems as concerned about his star guard’s condition. “I think (the week off) helped and I think two rounds of golf on this road trip helped,” Kerr said, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
  • After missing the first two-plus months of the season while recovering from a knee procedure and then playing on a minutes limit for several more weeks after that, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has recaptured his All-NBA form, having averaged 25.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game with a .521/.397/.825 shooting line in 13 March outings. Law Murray of The Athletic takes a look at Leonard’s resurgence and the 33-year-old’s desire to enter the offseason healthy.

L.A. Notes: Powell, Harden, Hayes, Lakers’ Offseason

The Clippers didn’t ask much from Norman Powell as he returned to the court Sunday night, but they didn’t need a big contribution from their leading scorer in a 35-point win over Charlotte, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Playing for just the second time since the All-Star break, Powell scored seven points in 22 minutes and Carr observed that the enthusiasm he displayed as he skipped onto the court showed his excitement to be playing again.

Carr notes that coach Tyronn Lue has found a way to keep the team successful without Powell’s 23.4 points per game. While he was sidelined, Lue focused the offense around Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac and James Harden.

“(We were) understanding how we want to play through guys,” Lue said, “and I think we’re getting more comfortable playing through Kawhi, playing through Zu, and James is just James.”

L.A. has managed to stay in contention for an automatic playoff spot, trailing sixth-place Golden State by just a game and a half. Powell’s return comes at a good time as the schedule is about to get much tougher with home games this week against Cleveland, Memphis and Oklahoma City.

“We pretty much need to win these games,” Leonard said. “Obviously, James is playing at a great level, Zu too. They played great individual basketball, being efficient and (Bogdan Bogdanovic) being great as well, making threes. It’s just been a collective group of thinking, just making shots that have been helping us.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

  • Harden has a streak of 15 straight playoff appearances that dates back to his rookie season with the Thunder, Carr adds in a separate story. It’s the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history, but he’ll have to go through the play-in tournament to extend it if the Clippers can’t move into the top six.
  • The Lakers also welcomed back an important player on Sunday as center Jaxson Hayes returned after missing the four-game road trip with a bruised right knee, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Hayes tied his season high with 19 points while shooting 8-of-10 from the field, and Price notes that all his baskets came off assists from Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. “Just the vertical spacer is massive,” coach J.J. Redick told reporters before the game. “It’s not just in pick-and-rolls, but it’s on drives. Just the threat of that that Jaxson has provided has been so good for Luka, for LeBron (James), for (Reaves), so excited to get that back.”
  • Finding another center will be an offseason priority for the Lakers, whether it’s someone to take over the starting role or serve as a backup to Hayes, Jovan Buha of The Athletic said on his latest podcast (hat tip to BasketNews). L.A. acquired Mark Williams from Charlotte before the deadline, but eventually rescinded the trade due to concerns about Williams’ physical condition. Buha also expects the team to try to work out extensions with Doncic and Reaves and to reach new deals with James and Dorian Finney-Smith. Doncic will become eligible in August for a four-year extension worth an estimated $228.6MM.

L.A. Notes: Leonard, Lue, Morris, Hayes

The Clippers‘ prospects for an automatic playoff spot — or at least a better position in the play-in tournament — improved dramatically on one Kawhi Leonard shot Sunday night, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Trailing by a point in overtime, Leonard held the ball for 15 seconds before making a move. He dribbled eight times, then launched his shot over a collapsing Kings defense. It bounced off the back of the rim and fell through the net to give the Clippers a 111-110 victory.

“Read the defense, got to a spot on the floor and was able to get a shot off,” said Leonard, who topped 40 minutes for the first time this season. “I wanted to play. I’m kind of capped on the minutes — 36 is a lot of minutes. But it was just about me just wanting to finish that game. They told me they were going to sit me for a minute and bring me back. So just itching to get back in and didn’t want to sit.”

It was the third straight victory for the Clippers, who are eighth in the West at 35-29, one game back of Golden State for the sixth spot. L.A. has rebounded from a 1-6 stretch immediately after the All-Star break and appears to be surging ahead of four upcoming games against sub-.500 opponents. The Clippers have now clinched the head-to-head tie-breaker against the Kings, who trail their division rivals by a game and a half at 33-30.

Although Norman Powell and Ben Simmons remained out for Sunday’s game, league sources tell Murray that they’re both making progress. Powell, who is sidelined with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, will be reevaluated following a three-game road trip. Simmons, who is also dealing with a knee issue, may play during the trip.

There’s more on the two Los Angeles teams:

  • Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had to miss Sunday’s game due to back pain, according to an Associated Press report. Lue didn’t give any indication during his pregame media session that he wouldn’t be able to coach, and the team didn’t provide any other details. Assistant Brian Shaw replaced Lue for the night.
  • Markieff Morris has barely played since rejoining the Lakers last month, but he’s finding other ways to contribute, notes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. The veteran forward has taken on a leadership role and was instrumental in helping Dalton Knecht regain his confidence after his trade to Charlotte was rescinded. “I missed (Morris),” LeBron James said. “… We’ve been in the foxhole together. We’ve been on the floor during big games together. And there’s someone whose opinion I value very much when I come off the floor. He’s watching it. He’s seeing it. I’m just happy to have him back. It’s great to see him.”
  • The Lakers will be without their entire starting front line for tonight’s game at Brooklyn. Center Jaxson Hayes has been ruled out on the team’s official injury report due to a contusion on his right knee. He joins James, who’s recovering from a groin injury he suffered Saturday night, and Rui Hachimura, who remains sidelined with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee.

Pacific Notes: LaVine, Ellis, Kawhi, Kuminga

It was an up-and-down first couple weeks in Sacramento for Zach LaVine, who was making just 43.0% of his shots from the floor – including 26.4% of his three-point tries – and had a -6.6 net rating as a member of the Kings entering Monday’s matchup with Charlotte.

However, LaVine enjoyed his best game of the season as either a King or a Bull on Monday, pouring in 42 points on 16-of-19 shooting in a blowout win over the Hornets. Sacramento outscored Charlotte by 36 points during his 31 minutes of action.

“I was just waiting,” said teammate DeMar DeRozan, who also played with LaVine for three years in Chicago (story via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). “It took long enough. I kept telling him the whole game, ‘Just shoot it,’ and that’s the outcome. … It’s nothing new for me. I think it was just cool to have the bench going and the crowd going as well.”

Interim Kings head coach Doug Christie said after the game that he believes LaVine has been focused more on fitting in and deferring to teammates than playing his own game. While Christie acknowledge that’s a commendable approach, he hoped to see the two-time All-Star be more assertive offensively.

“I’ve known Zach and the way he plays and what he’s capable of,” Christie said. “I have had conversations, and to his credit, I thought he’s been trying to fit in, but we need him to be himself so we can figure out how to best support him. That doesn’t mean he’s going to come out and get 42 every night, but be aggressive and stay aggressive.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Kings guard Keon Ellis exited Monday’s win over Charlotte after just nine minutes of action due to a right ankle injury, but the team has gotten good news on that front. The injury was considered minor and Ellis has been upgraded to available for Wednesday’s game in Utah, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.
  • After missing games on Sunday and Monday – both Clippers losses – due to left foot soreness, star forward Kawhi Leonard isn’t on the injury report for Wednesday’s game in Chicago, according to the team (Twitter link). That suggests Leonard will be active as the Clippers, in the midst of a long road trip, look to snap their three-game losing streak.
  • Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will remain sidelined for Thursday’s game in Orlando, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga is in the final stages of his recovery from an ankle sprain that has sidelined him since January 4 and has been scrimmaging, according to Slater, but the 22-year-old is still waiting for the final green light from trainer Rick Celebrini. A return in the middle of Golden State’s five-game road trip, which begins tomorrow and runs through next Thursday, looks like a possibility, Slater adds.

Pacific Notes: Iguodala, Kawhi, Powell, Morris, Martin

Andre Iguodala‘s No. 9 jersey went into the rafters of the Chase Center on Sunday, making him the seventh Warriors player to have his jersey retired, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The four-time champion dedicated much of his speech to thanking staff members, but made sure to express his appreciation to fans and former teammates as well, including two-time MVP Stephen Curry.

None of this would have happened without all of you, the fans,” Iguodala said.

We haven’t really had time to reflect, Steph, you made the world turn. That is not something you say lightly. You truly changed the game of basketball. It was beautiful. … I understood my role. I understood the genius of Draymond [Green], the genius of Klay [Thompson], the genius of Kevin Durant. … Shaun Livingston and I … we had this unique team that understood, had this precious ultra-talented assassin. Steph, none of this happens without you.”

Curry called it “weird and surreal” to attend the ceremony, noting that it’s been “hard to fill that void” in the locker room since Iguodala retired.

I think we all can feel it but this isn’t just about a number going into the rafters,” Curry said of Iguodala. “This is about a player who changed the course of our entire franchise. … You were the first one to choose us, and that meant the world. For a team that knew we were good but didn’t know how to get to that next level, you unlocked so much confidence, so much IQ, so much maturity to what we did.

You sacrificed ego for excellence, which for us is the Warriors way.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

  • Key Clippers starters Kawhi Leonard (left foot soreness) and Norman Powell (left patellar tendinopathy) will be sidelined for Monday’s contest in Detroit, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. It’s the second straight absence for Leonard and third for Powell, who was previously listed as having left knee soreness. As expected, Ben Simmons will also be sidelined with what the team called left knee injury management — he has yet to play both ends of a back-to-back this season (the Clippers lost at Indiana on Sunday).
  • Veteran forward Markieff Morris was an afterthought in the blockbuster trade that saw Luka Doncic land with the Lakers, but head coach JJ Redick says he’s been a valuable leader in the locker room, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (subscriber link). “He’s been awesome,” Redick said. “It’s very valuable to have a guy like that, a voice, an older voice, someone who’s seen it all in the NBA, someone who’s won a championship. Obviously that helps as well. He’s been great on the bench with talking with guys, making sure our bench energy is good. I told him the other day, we see it and we appreciate it and we all just value what he’s doing right now from that aspect in leadership.”
  • Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer says there’s no timetable for Cody Martin to return from a sports hernia injury, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link). “He’s putting work in. I think he’s making progress, but I don’t have an update on his expected return time. I think we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Budenholzer said. Martin, who was acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline, last played on January 24. The 29-year-old wing was doing some shooting drills prior to Saturday’s game, Rankin adds (via Twitter).