By Brandon Simmons
Update: According to Shams, the Clippers believe Kawhi injured his ACL and will be out indefinitely.
NBA fans went to sleep Tuesday peacefully after watching Brooklyn Nets guard Kevin Durant put on a spectacular performance but woke up in agony when they got some tough news about 2 other superstars. Los Angeles Clippers guard Kawhi Leonard and Phoenix Suns guard could both miss their playoff series. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Leonard suffered a knee injury in Game 4 and will miss Game 5; his availability for the rest of the series is in doubt. As if things could not get any weirder in the league, the Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Paul has entered COVID protocols indefinitely, which would jeopardize his status for the Western Conference Finals.
The news of these 2 events hit at a crucial time for both these guys and their teams. Leonard and the Clippers are tied 2-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz, after winning both games on their homestand portion of the series. The Suns finished their Semifinals series by sweeping the Denver Nuggets and are awaiting the winner of the Jazz/Clippers series. While that series could go to maybe 6 or 7 games, Paul’s length of stay in protocol has yet to be determined, but that is determined on his vaccination status. If vaccinated, the Suns guard could be looking at a shorter time in protocol.
NBA fans have been going through it watching their biggest stars succumb to injuries or the effects of them. The Los Angeles Lakers lost Anthony Davis to an ankle injury in the first round, something that may have boosted their early exit from the postseason. The Nuggets were already without guard Jamal Murray for the playoffs after his year ended with a few weeks left in the regular season. The Nets were without guard Kyrie Irving for their Game 5 win, but before that, was dealing with guard James Harden and his hamstring injury. Kawhi and CP3 are the latest to go through this round of health issues.
The Clippers absolutely need Kawhi to push through to the next round. Without Leonard, the Clippers will have to rely on Forward Paul George to lead this team to the next round. George scored 31 in both home wins in the semifinals, living up to his “Playoff P” moniker, but has a tendency to slip up in big games, hence the nickname he has also received in recent years, “Pandemic P”. Utah is not the pushover they were thought to have been in year’s past. This team is a little bit older in terms of their development, and dealing with their own injury situation, as guard Mike Conley continues to heal from his injury. On paper, L.A. is a solid roster without Leonard, but he can certainly push this team to the next round and possibly further if he is healthy.
As for CP3, the Suns will need for him for his veteran leadership alone. Phoenix has good young core led by guard Devin Booker, who can score at will. But Paul is a floor general who can get things under control whenever the game gets in a tight situation. The only other veteran on that roster, with comparable playoff experience to Paul, is forward Jae Crowder. He’s been apart of a few Finals, and Conference Finals runs to provide some guidance. However, going against either the Jazz or Clippers is going to require some smart, veteran point guard that only Paul can provide out of all 4 of the teams remaining in the West.