The recent setback facing Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard during his road to recovery from a torn ACL grows more concerning with time.
Leonard, who suffered the injury in June of 2021 and underwent reconstructive surgery a month later, missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season before returning to the floor this October. As exciting as Leonard's return to action was, it was short-lived, as he appeared in just two of LA's first three games before being sidelined with knee stiffness."Leonard last played on Oct. 23.
In the time since Leonard last played, details surrounding his potential return have been murky. While Leonard has progressed to participating in five-on-five work in practice, head coach Ty Lue maintains that he is unsure when the 31-year-old will be cleared to return to the lineup.
Given the concerning nature of Leonard's current situation, we reached out to medical expert Dr. Michael S. George of the KSF Orthopaedic Center in Houston to gain more insight into the cause of Leonard's injury and the concern level surrounding the obstacles he's faced since undergoing surgery.
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Kawhi Leonard injury analysis: Potential complications, concerns and why Clippers are being extra cautious
What is the typical recovery timeline after a torn ACL?
The expected recovery timeline after ACL reconstruction is straight-ahead running at approximately two months, returning to cutting and pivoting activities at four-to-six months and returning to high-level competition at six-to-nine months.
Given his value to the team and the league, it is certainly understandable for the Clippers to be cautious with his recovery.
How concerning is Kawhi Leonard's knee stiffness and what could be the cause?
Knee stiffness after returning to activity is not alarming in and of itself, however, it is concerning that he is having trouble returning 16 months after surgery.
There are a variety of issues that can prolong recovery, some of which are concerning and some which are not. In general, problems within the knee joint that can cause continued issues include cartilage injury, meniscus injury and scar tissue that can cause swelling and limitation of motion. Problems outside of the knee joint include muscle tightness and nerve irritation.
What does this mean for Kawhi Leonard's ability to return to peak form?
Looking at recovery from ACL reconstruction in NBA players, a study by Harris and colleagues in the journal Sports Health, they examined 58 NBA players who tore their ACL.
86 percent of players returned to play in the NBA after surgery. In the study, over the next several years, injured players experienced a similar decline in performance as non-injured players did.
Guards struggled the most with returning to play, while centers returned more easily. So while most NBA players return to full activity and performance level, some players are never able to fully return to their pre-injury level.
Hopefully, Leonard will continue to rehab and will be able to return at some point this season to his normal, elite level of play.
Kawhi Leonard knee injury timeline
June 14, 2021: Leonard plays 34 minutes in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Leonard tweaked his right knee in the fourth quarter of LA's win.
The injury is ruled as a sprained knee.
With 5:25 remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Jazz, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard tweaked his right knee.
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 15, 2021
After the game, Leonard told TNT, “I’ll be good.”
Read more on the @kslsports app!#TakeNote #UTAatLAC #NBA
🎥: TNT pic.twitter.com/DJGcSQitCs
June 16, 2021: After reports surface that Leonard's status for the remainder of the series is up in the air, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports that the franchise feared Leonard suffered a torn ACL.
Those fears would ultimately be confirmed as Leonard missed the remainder of the NBA Playoffs with a torn right ACL.
July 13, 2021: The Clippers announce that Leonard had undergone successful surgery to repair his partially torn right ACL.
Jan. 6, 2022: Turner Sports' Chris Haynes reports that Leonard is "ahead of schedule in rehab," opening the door for a potential return in the 2021-22 season.
April 10, 2022: The 2021-22 season closes without Leonard appearing in a game, though rumblings indicate that Leonard could return if the eighth-seeded Clippers qualify for the NBA Playoffs.
April 15, 2022: The Clippers are eliminated from the Play-In Tournament, meaning Leonard had missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season.
Oct. 3, 2022: Leonard returns to the floor for a preseason game between the Clippers and Trail Blazers, scoring 11 points in 16 minutes.
Oct. 20, 2022: On the Clippers' opening night, Leonard makes his highly anticipated return against the Lakers. Leonard comes off the bench due to a minute restriction. He scores 14 points in 21 minutes.
Oct. 23, 2022: After missing the front end of a back-to-back due to knee injury management, Leonard returns to again see 21 minutes of action, this time in a loss to the Suns.
Oct. 25, 2022: With the Thunder set for two games in Oklahoma City against the Thunder, Leonard again appears on the injury report due to injury management. Lue tells reporters that Leonard is experiencing knee stiffness and that the team would send him back to Los Angeles for treatment.
Oct. 30, 2022: Lue calls the knee stiffness a game-to-game issue, ultimately rendering Leonard's status as day-to-day until further notice.
Nov. 14, 2022: It is confirmed that Leonard is back going through five-on-five work but Lue said that while Leonard is getting closer, he still has more progress to make in order to return.
