NBA Champion Believes Kawhi Leonard Will be at his 'Best' This Season

What Kendrick Perkins Believes Kawhi Can Do This Season

Kendrick Perkins, NBA champion and current ESPN analyst, seemed to believe that Leonard's controversy has been a blessing in disguise.

“Kawhi Leonard playing in the preseason game? When’s the last time we saw Kawhi play in a preseason game? But here’s the thing, right? It’s so much noise going on about Kawhi Leonard outside the lines; the only way to quiet that noise is by going out there and performing on the floor at a high level," Perkins said on ESPN.

He continued, "I believe that we’re going to see the best version of Kawhi Leonard. It was a blessing in disguise what’s going on outside the lines because now, Kawhi can find his sanctuary inside the lines, which is going to benefit the Clippers.“

Perkins isn't entirely wrong either. Leonard has had a history of missing games, so for him to appear in a preseason matchup speaks volumes about his mentality heading into the season.

What This Means For The Upcoming Season in LA

Much of last season for the LA Clippers was navigating games without Leonard in the lineup. That meant they had to utilize James Harden a lot more than they wanted to.

As great a player as Harden is, taking that entire load of leading the team with no second star to help can fatigue a player come playoff time. Harden had help in Norman Powell, but Powell was also injured after the All-Star break.

This season could be much different. With Leonard playing, the other older stars like Harden, newcomer Bradley Beal, and others can help each other take less responsibility. Essentially, they can focus on team basketball.

Whether the best version of Leonard is here or not has yet to be seen, but the signs are there -- even if only in a preseason game.