ESPN's Doris Burke made some interesting remarks about the Clippers' decision to rest Kawhi Leonard for Wednesday night's matchup against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center.
Needless to say, Burke is befuddled:
“It is mind-boggling to me that Kawhi [Leonard] doesn't want to play against the reigning MVP and he'd rather play against Portland tomorrow night on TNT,” Doris Burke said on Wedneday morning's episode of Golic and Wingo. “Kawhi not playing is ridiculous at this point.”
“Kawhi not playing is ridiculous at this point.”
–@heydb on Kawhi Leonard sitting out his second nationally televised game this season due to “load management.” pic.twitter.com/d6EGlFAuDO
— Keyshawn, JWill & Max (@KeyJayandMax) November 6, 2019
Though Burke is upset, the Clippers' decision to rest Kawhi on the front end of a back-to-back set should come as no surprise. Load management is becoming more and more prevalent for players who have dealt with recent injuries, and Leonard falls into that category.
Leonard is no stranger to the injury bug, as he has dealt with the pesky critter since his days with the San Antonio Spurs, when he was diagnosed with right quadriceps tendinopathy. The former San Diego State standout went on to win a championship with the Toronto Raptors last season before joining the Clippers this summer. He often says he feels good, but it seems as though head coach Doc Rivers and his staff are monitoring his minutes in this campaign.
Load management or not, Leonard is playing great with the Clippers. In his six appearances this season, the 28-year-old has racked up averages of 29.3 points on 47.4 percent shooting from the field (35.5 percent from beyond the arc), 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.3 steals and a block in 30.5 minutes per outing.
Wednesday night's Clippers-Bucks matchup is scheduled to tip at 10:00 p.m. ET, with ESPN having live broadcast coverage. Leonard will likely be back for Thursday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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