People like to bring “load control” to Kawhi Leonard, even though he did not create it. Nonetheless, those jokes should be over – Kawhi Leonard plays backup.
After playing 29 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, Leonard played 40 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks back Monday.
There were no signs of fat for Leonard who was the overall winner in both games. He was completely carrying the Clippers against the Dallas Mavericks, on either end of the floor. Leonard wanted his team to win, and that ‘s exactly what he did against the Mavericks team who were 11 out of the last 14 games.
The Clippers are 7-0 on the second night of backup this season, which is an incredibly difficult performance during this short season. If there were no legitimate injuries, Kawhi Leonard has played in all of those backups. The time for “load management” fun is over. We’ve seen players like Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis miss a backup for several seasons without anyone saying a word. At this point, Leonard just deserves more respect.
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