Kawhi Leonard played just 16 minutes in his preseason debut for the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday as they took down Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, 102-97. It was by no means a stellar debut for the former NBA Finals MVP, but there's still no denying that there's a lot to be excited about this season on the Kawhi front.
Just ask Clippers co-star Paul George, who himself also suited up in LA's preseason opener. According to George, Leonard is looking as good as ever right now (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter):
“He looks great. He looks like himself,” George said.” … He's like a kid on the court just dribbling around. He has that excitement to play basketball again. That's scary.”
George also noted that Leonard looks “sharp” and “explosive,” and at this point, all the time he spent in the gym during the offseason has definitely paid off:
“He's gotten bigger, he's stronger, he's ready,” George said.
“It's scary. He's put more muscle on. He's a scary matchup for anyone that has to guard him.”
"He's gotten bigger, he's stronger, he's ready. It's scary. He's put more muscle on. He's a scary matchup for anyone that has to guard him."
Paul George on Kawhi Leonard 👀
(via @NotoriousOHM)pic.twitter.com/UTMZcv2TrS
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 5, 2022
Kawhi Leonard definitely bulked up this summer and as George said, it's a scary sight for the rest of the NBA. Guarding Leonard is hard enough, but now that he's put on more muscle, it's going to be an even more unenviable task.
If both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are able to stay healthy this season, then the sky is the limit for the Clippers. It's not at all surprising that the pundits already have them as one of the favorites to come out of the West in 2022-23.
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