Despite missing Kawhi Leonard for the entire season and Paul George for most of the season, the LA Clippers have qualified for the Play-In Tournament with a chance to make the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
After losing to the Timberwolves in the Play-In opener, they Clippers face off against the Pelicans.
A win would give LA the No. 8 seed in a rematch series from last year's Western Conference Finals with the Phoenix Suns. Back-to-back Play-In losses would eliminate the Clippers from the postseason.
MORE: NBA Play-In Tournament, explained: Format, matchups, seeds and more
The longer the Clippers can last, the better chance they have of getting two-time Finals MVP Leonard back in action.
Leonard is not expected to be available for the Play-In Tournament and there's a chance he never returns in the playoffs at all.
But what if he does?
Here's everything you need to know about Leonard's injury and how his availability would alter the Western Conference playoffs.
NBA LEAGUE PASS: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)
What is Kawhi Leonard's injury?
Leonard suffered a right knee injury during Game 4 of the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals last June. The two-time NBA Finals MVP came up limping after a drive toward the basket against former Jazz forward Joe Ingles. He ended up sitting the last four-plus minutes of that contest, but in his postgame interview with TNT's Rebecca Haarlow, he said, "I'll be good."
Unfortunately for Leonard, the knee issue was more serious than he thought and ended what had been a spectacular playoff run. The Clippers announced on July 13 that Leonard underwent successful surgery to repair the partially torn ACL, adding that there is "no timetable for his return."
Latest news on Kawhi Leonard's injury
In late March, ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reported that if the Clippers could make it out of the Play-In Tournament, Leonard's return would be a possibility.
"By all accounts, Leonard has been working hard and looks to be in good shape, but the Clippers will be extra cautious with their franchise star," Youngmisuk wrote.
"If they make it out of the Play-In Tournament, however, and Paul George and Norman Powell also return, Leonard would just need clearance from the medical staff to play again. And that door has been left open."
Just last week, Leonard was seen moving around and putting up jumpers at practice, sending the NBA world into a frenzy.
He didn’t want us to record him shooting, but Kawhi is shooting free throws with longtime friend and former Riverside King teammate, Clippers assistant Jeremy Castleberry over yonder. pic.twitter.com/edpO4CNvAB
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) April 5, 2022
While this is far from being a full practice participant or doing 5-on-5 work, it does show that Leonard is taking the possible steps to be healthy enough to play this season.
Last time Kawhi Leonard played...
He was as dominant as we've ever seen him.
It's easy to forget that Leonard was First Team All-NBA last season after averaging 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game on .512/.398/.885 shooting splits.
And he was even better in the playoffs.
With the Clippers trailing the Dallas Mavericks 3-2 in the first round, Leonard dropped a career-high-tying 45 points on 18-for-25 shooting from the field to force a Game 7.
In Game 7, Leonard nearly recorded a triple-double, going for 28 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals to lead LA to a decisive win to advance to the next round.
After the Clippers dropped Games 1 and 2 to the Utah Jazz in the Conference Semifinals, Leonard started to flip the switch. He went for 32 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in a blowout Game 3 win, then followed that up with 31 points in a Game 4 win to even the series.
He suffered his knee injury late in Game 4 – which would eventually be deemed as a partially torn ACL – marking the last time Leonard has taken the court.
If the Clippers could return that version of Leonard this postseason, they would immediately become one of the most talented teams in the West. With George and Powell already back in the lineup, LA is going to be an incredibly tough out if they can advance out of the Play-In Tournament.
Add Leonard into that mix – a two-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP – and you have another player with a championship pedigree to try and make a surprise run. However, they would have to build back their on-court chemistry on the fly.
Head coach Tyronn Lue has done a remarkable job keeping the Clippers afloat all season without the team's superstars. If Leonard can join George and Powell on the floor, LA could become a dark horse team to make a deep playoff run.
Who plays in place of Kawhi Leonard?
If Leonard can't return to the floor, it will be business as usual for the Clippers.
There has never been a definitive expectation that Leonard would return this season – it was always viewed as an added bonus if the five-time All-Star was available at any point.
With George and Powell back, the Clippers receive a significant boost on both sides of the ball.
Players like Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Luke Kennard and Terance Mann (to name a few) have all stepped up to replace the scoring production of George and Leonard, but none of the above are typical go-to options for a playoff team.
George and Powell will immediately assume their roles as the Clippers' top two scorers, as they already did at the end of the regular season.
George averaged 22.6 points, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 steals while shooting 52.5 percent from 3 in five games back since returning from an elbow injury. Powell only had two tune-up games before the postseason, but he went for over 20 points in each contest.
Even in potential matchups against the Grizzlies or Suns, the Clippers have the offensive firepower and defensive pieces to make life difficult for the top teams in the league.
Will they pull off an upset without Leonard? It doesn't seem likely, but even the partially healthy version of the Clippers are much tougher than other typical Play-In-level teams.
