Kawhi Leonard to come off the bench for the first time since 2013

By HoopsHype | October 20, 2022

What’s the buzz on Twitter? Ryan Ward @RyanWardLAWestbrook is really giving Kawhi fits right now defensively… Not something I thought I’d EVER tweet. – 12:25 AM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBAClips with Zu on Westbrook, not guarding him. Kawhi is on AD so they can switch AD PnRs. Throw it to Russ out top, he can’t beat Zu. – 12:24 AM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBAThis is better effort from Westbrook than we’ve seen the last couple years. Back in his OKC days he was a tenacious post defender, and Ham has him doing that again vs Kawhi. – 12:21 AM Jovan Buha @jovanbuhaBack-to-back steals by Russell Westbrook as the Clippers tried to iso and post Kawhi Leonard up on him. Timeout Lakers, down 97-93, with 4:02 remaining. – 12:21 AM Mark Medina @MarkG_MedinaAfter forcing a turnover while guarding Kawhi in the post, Russ called for Paul George to post up Kawhi again on the next play. Russ stole the ball there, too. – 12:21 AM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNUClippers have lost their second double-digit lead of the game, have no field goals made through first 3:59 of fourth quarter, and the arena will stay for late night traffic after Lonnie finished Austin Reaves’ lob12-2 Lakers run. 89-87 Lakers lead.Good thing Kawhi can close! – 12:09 AM Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHMThe Clippers have played Kawhi basically in six-plus minute stretches. He played the last six-plus of the first half, the first six-plus of the third and perhaps he will play the final six minutes of the game. – 11:47 PM Jim Lefko @jimlefkoSorta fun watching @Kawhi Leonard ball again for the surprisingly healthy Clips. With the Spurs unwatchable this year I need a competitive team to follow. But history says Kawhi & Paul George won’t make it through the entire season intact. #toosoon? – 11:42 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_MedinaEfficiency. Kawhi: 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting in 13 minutes. Inefficiency. Russ: 2 points on 0-for-8 shooting in 22 minutes. – 11:39 PM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNUJohn Wall had nobody really running with him in transition.But the secondary break exists. And Kawhi pulled up slow, got the catch-shoot 3 to fall, and Clippers are on an 11-0 run to take a 74-65 lead. Ham calls timeout with 5:09 left in third quarter. – 11:39 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_MedinaMan, Anthony Davis took one nasty fall while defending Kawhi Leonard and left everyone initially shook. But he stood up on his own a few moments later. Crisis averted. – 11:27 PM Andrew Greif @AndrewGreifKawhi plays to open the second half. The Clippers are gauging his workload not by a certain amount of minutes, per se, but by certain markers — how long and how intense his stints are, and then how long is he sitting between the stints are among the factors. – 11:22 PM Ben Golliver @BenGolliverLA Clippers were +12 with 10 assists before Kawhi Leonard checked in midway through second quarter.– Minus-12 with 0 assists after Leonard checked in. – 11:11 PM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNUWell yeah, a lot happened in an hour.The biggest thing is Kawhi Leonard finally debuted.The second-biggest thing: Lakers ended last 5:27 of first half on 20-4 run.Tied at 56 through two quarters. LAL outscored LAC 8-0 off 2nd quarter turnovers. – 11:06 PM Andrew Greif @AndrewGreifKawhi Leonard’s stat line during the last 6:25 of the first half:2-5 from the field, 0-2 from 3, two rebounds, one steal. – 11:05 PM Kyle Goon @kylegoonGreat final Lakers defensive possession, including trapping Kawhi in the corner and forcing a 24-second violation.Tied at 56 between the Lakers and Clippers. Lakers have a half to end the Ty Lue curse. – 11:03 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_MedinaLakers’ last defensive stand of the first half: swarming Kawhi Leonard on a double team and forcing a 24-second violation. – 11:03 PM Sam Vecenie @Sam_VecenieClippers offense has gotten super stagnant with Kawhi in. Feels like a lot of dribbling and not a ton of ball movement with all of these new guys trying to reintegrate a superstar who hasn’t played in over a year. – 11:02 PM Mike Trudell @LakersReporterTie game. LAL trailed by 16, but rallied to tie it up at 54 as LeBron found AD in transition.Kawhi started 2 for 2, but has missed 3 straight. – 11:00 PM Janis Carr @janiscarrKawhi Leonard checks into the game with 6:25 left in the first half. He will be the 11th player to play in the opening half. – 10:51 PM Jovan Buha @jovanbuhaKawhi Leonard checks in and immediately hits two contested mid-range jumpers over Juan Toscano-Anderson. – 10:50 PM Andrew Greif @AndrewGreifKawhi’s first shot is a midrange make after pushing the ball upcourt off a Lakers miss. His second shot is a turnaround make after backing down Toscano-Anderson in the post. – 10:50 PM Jovan Buha @jovanbuhaJust like that, the Clippers respond with a quick 7-0 run to stretch their lead to 12, 48-36. Five Clippers already have 7+ points. Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Kawhi Leonard and Paul Geroge are set to check in. – 10:46 PM Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHMLakers call timeout and Kawhi Leonard will check in with 6:25 to go in the half, making his return to first meaningful game since tearing his right ACL on June 14, 2021. – 10:45 PM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNUKawhi Leonard will check in with Paul George next dead ballAnthony Davis as well. Darvin Ham calls timeout. Get ya popcorn ready – 10:45 PM Ben Golliver @BenGolliverClippers’ Kawhi Leonard — tonight’s 11th man — finally set to check in midway through the second quarter of season opener vs. Lakers.– Leonard spent time doing leg stretches on the sideline during the first quarter to stay limber. – 10:45 PM Kevin O’Connor @KevinOConnorNBAClippers with 35 in the first quarter without Kawhi Leonard says both a lot about their depth and this Lakers defense—they’ve given up over 30 in four out of five quarters so far this season. – 10:35 PM Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwillClippers up 35-23 after 1. Almost feels like the Lakers are lucky to be down just 12. Shooting 31 percent…and Kawhi still hasn’t checked in yet – 10:32 PM Andrew Greif @AndrewGreifEnd of the first quarter: Clippers 35, Lakers 23Powell and Wall have 8 points. PG has 7, 5 and 2. Kawhi has yet to play. LAC is 12-of-24 from the field, 8-10 from FTs. – 10:32 PM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNUSecond unit time for Clippers with 3:21 left to play:– George– Covington– Batum– Kennard– WallWe’ll probably see Kawhi to start second quarter when George sits. PG is still a 1, contrary to his comments two Sundays ago… – 10:25 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_MedinaKawhi Leonard not even the 6th man off the bench. John Wall, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington and Luke Kennard getting run before Kawhi. – 10:25 PM Andrew Greif @AndrewGreifWe’ll see how long it takes for Kawhi Leonard to make his first appearance. What’s important for the Clippers is that he had the ability to close out a game, and that he also isn’t sitting too long between playing stints. – 10:24 PM Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHMKawhi remains on bench with a warming pad around both knees. Clippers want to make sure Kawhi doesn’t come in, play and then sit for a long stretch of real time (not game minutes) on bench before coming back in. And they want to make sure Kawhi can finish a game feeling his best – 10:23 PM Kyle Goon @kylegoonCan’t tell if Lakers fans were booing John Wall as the Clippers’ first sub, or if they were booing that it wasn’t Kawhi who came off the bench first. – 10:17 PM Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHMThis will be Kawhi Leonard’s first game played coming off the bench since his third season with the Spurs in 2013-14 according to @ESPNStatsInfo. Kawhi came off the bench in one game that season, Nov. 10 at New York. – 9:09 PM Andrew Greif @AndrewGreifTy Lue on Kawhi: “It’s going to be a process, it’s going to be some times where he looks like Kawhi Leonard and some times where he’s just trying to get a feel and not playing well. He has to understand that as great as he is, it’s not going to come overnight. – 8:58 PM Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHMTy Lue says the Clippers have had a few scrimmages to work with Kawhi coming off the bench over the past week. He also says things can always change with Reggie Jackson starting at point guard and John Wall running second unit but this is what fits the team best now. – 8:38 PM Matt Williams @StatsWilliamsKawhi Leonard is coming off the bench in a game for the first time since Nov. 10, 2013 against the Knicks.Since his 2nd season in the NBA, Leonard has come off the bench just twice entering tonight. – 8:36 PM Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannixKawhi Leonard will come off the bench tonight against the Lakers, Ty Lue told reporters in LA. Leonard will make his return after missing all of last season with an ACL injury. – 8:34 PM Andrew Greif @AndrewGreifWhy play Kawhi off the bench versus starting him and pulling him early? Ty Lue says Kawhi felt most comfortable with this arrangement. Lue says it’s not as though this will be long term — it’s all based on how Kawhi feels and progresses with his recovery. – 8:34 PM Dave McMenamin @mctenTy Lue says Kawhi Leonard will come off the bench in the season opener. His reasoning? “We want him to be available at the end of the game if we need him.” Lue says that Leonard was most comfortable with this lineup rotation. – 8:33 PM Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHMKawhi Leonard will come off the bench. Ty Lue says it’s so that they can spread his minutes out and have him for the end of the game. Reggie Jackson will start at point guard. Ty says this was Kawhi’s idea so that he can be most comfortable with the usage of his minutes – 8:32 PM Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwillKawhi Leonard will come off the bench for the Clippers tonight against the Lakers. “He wanted to do what was best for the team,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said. “This is what he felt comfortable with.” – 8:32 PM Andrew Greif @AndrewGreifTy Lue says that Kawhi Leonard will come off the bench because the Clippers want him to be available for the end of the game. – 8:32 PM Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynesLos Angeles Clippers have been considering the possibility of bringing Kawhi Leonard off the bench to start the season in order to manage his minutes, league sources tell @YahooSports. – 1:13 PM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNUKawhi Leonard played 33 minutes this preseason. The Clippers were a +17 in that time vs Trail Blazers and Timberwolves. His numbers:19 points (7/16 FGs)4 rebounds (2 fouls)4 assists (0 turnovers)2 steals (0 blocks)1/4 3s (4/4 FTs)We shall revisit this in 13 hours – 11:51 AM More on this storyline To leave a comment, you will need to Sign in or create an account if you already have an account. Typed comments will be lost if you are not signed in.