“I’m just allergic to excitement with anything that involves Kawhi Leonard” – Stephen A. Smith on why can’t trust the L.A. Clippers.
Stephen A. Smith can’t trust Clippers because of Kawhi Leonard.
The L.A. Clippers may be heating up at the right time. They have won four straight games and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
With this recent stretch, the Clippers have not only solidified their hold of the 8th seed with a four-game lead over the 9th-place Sacramento Kings, but they have also moved to within one game of the No.6 Golden State Warriors and outright entry in the Western Conference playoffs.
Despite this uptick, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is not too high on the Clippers, and strangely, his reason is the player who is mainly responsible for the Clips’ current surge.
“The reason I’m not sold on the Clippers is because I’m just looking at my watch, and I’m just looking at the dates in the calendar, and I’m just waiting for Kawhi Leonard to get hurt, that’s all,” Smith said on First Take. “I know that come playoff time, he’s not gonna be available. … This is a man that went into a playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, dropped 38, walked off the court, looked perfectly fine, and at 4 o’clock the next day be like, ‘He’s out for the year.’ What? What happened?”
Leonard is playing 36.0 minutes per game this month
Due to his bothersome right knee, Kawhi Leonard has played only 26 out of the Clippers’ 69 games this season. However, he’s played in as many games this month as he did in February.
Not only is Leonard averaging 25.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 steals in eight games played in March, but he’s also posting a season-high 36.0 minutes per game this month and has looked very strong and healthy. However, Stephen A. says he isn’t willing to put his faith in “The Klaw” because of his history.
“I can’t get excited about the Clippers because, yes, last night was an impressive win, Cleveland two losses in a row after 16-game winning streak,” added Smith. “I get all that, and they deserve credit for it, it was a bigger win for them than it was, more impressive for the Clippers than it was for the Warriors, I am just allergic to excitement with anything that involves Kawhi Leonard, I just am.”
Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge looks on before the game between the Utah Jazz and the Toronto Raptors at Delta Center.
Leonard looked impressive against the Cavs
During the Clippers’ massive win over the East leaders Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, Leonard tied his season-high with 33 points. While it took him 40 minutes and 23 shot attempts to accomplish the feat against the Lakers on March 2nd, Kawhi needed only 19 field goal tries in 35 minutes to match it against the Cavs.
“Just by winning,” said Leonard after the game when asked about his strong play as of late. “I’m not trying to get back to a certain point. It’s about what’s in front of me, and I’ve always said that. It’s nothing to do with the past. It’s just about being better, being better in my role this year and what’s in front of me.”
SAS is correct about “The Klaw’s” unreliability in the playoffs. But remember that earlier this season, Leonard admitted that his right knee issues could be something he must manage for the rest of his career. That’s why he missed a lot of games early on. That’s why Kawhi is starting to log in heavy minutes now; this is the part of the season that he has been preparing for. Hopefully, the ploy will work, and the Clippers will have a healthy two-time Finals MVP in the postseason. Fingers crossed, though.
