Kawhi Leonard Remains Sidelined with Foot/Ankle Injury, Misses Thursday's Game

Kawhi Leonard (foot/ankle) will not play in Thursday's game against Orlando, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, continuing his battle with injuries. Leonard's career has been marked by significant injury setbacks, including an ACL tear in 2020-21 that cost him the entire 2021-22 season, and a torn meniscus suffered in the first postseason game last year, which required an offseason clean-up procedure. Despite being expected to recover for training camp, he is anticipated to periodically sit out games to prevent further issues, having not played more than 60 games since 2016. When healthy, Leonard remains an elite performer, averaging at least 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals for five consecutive campaigns (excluding his missed season). Last season, he averaged 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and a career-high 41.6 percent from three. With Paul George now in Philadelphia, Leonard and James Harden are expected to take leading roles for the Los Angeles Clippers, making his availability crucial despite his known fantasy risk.