Kawhi Leonard looks like his prime self in win over Lakers

Leonard missed the first 36 games of the season with the same knee inflammation that bothered him in last year's playoffs and kept him out of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The two-time Finals MVP has been on a minutes restriction since his comeback but played a season-high 24 minutes against the Lakers on Sunday. 

After the game, Leonard said he's "happy with the progress" but isn't willing to claim he's fully healthy.

"For me, it's just about how I'm feeling and I'm coming out of the games feeling great," Leonard said, via the Los Angeles Times. "But I still got work to do and we're going to keep taking each step."

Leonard won't play in Monday's back-to-back game against the Bulls. The veteran forward is also unlikely to suit up against the Wizards on Thursday if he plays in Wednesday's game against the Celtics, per Clippers head coach Ty Lue. 

The Clippers (24-17) can't be blamed for keeping Leonard on a minutes restriction, let alone allowing him to play back-to-backs. The franchise desperately needs Leonard's services if it plans to make a deep postseason run, especially considering the might of the Western Conference. Lue's team has unexpectedly maintained a stronghold over the fifth seed despite Leonard's extended absence to start the season. 

Leonard's encouraging progress notwithstanding, Clippers fans have every reason to be pessimistic about his long-term health. Last year, he appeared in 68 games — his most since 2016-17 — until his knee issues began to flare up at the end of the regular season. As such, there'll always be trepidation about Leonard's ability to stay healthy.