The LA Clippers have been rolling over the last few weeks, climbing as high as the fourth seed in the West. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get star Kawhi Leonard into the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.

All-Star Reserves were announced on Thursday night, in a special TNT pre-game show. Head coaches in the NBA voted for the reserves, and Kawhi Leonard did not make the cut. Slotting into the frontcourt spots as reserves are Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis, Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr., and LA Clippers star Paul George.

Kawhi Leonard is in his first year back from a torn ACL suffered during the 2021 postseason. He started the season coming off the bench for two games before missing nearly a month as he reconditioned his knee into game shape. Since then, Leonard has been durable, effective, and ultra efficient.

Leonard has played in 28 of the Clippers' 54 games so far this season, averaging 21.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 51.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent from three.

In the month of January, where he finished as a finalist for Player of the Month, Kawhi Leonard averaged 27.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.9 steals on 54.6 percent shooting from the field, 45 percent from three, and 91.8 percent from the free throw line. The Clippers are also undefeated (7-0) when Leonard scores at least 30 points this season.

When asked to make a case for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as All-Stars, head coach Tyronn Lue pointed to the last seven games as the main reasons.

“Just showing you how important they are to this team,” Lue said following the win in Chicago. “When those two guys play, we're a totally different team and when you construct a team around two players, it's kind of hard. With those two guys on the floor, you see the team that we really are on both sides of the basketball, so what they have meant to winning, how they play at a high level, that shows you what kind of team we can be when we're healthy.”

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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving, Mavericks' Jason Kidd both in front. Mavericks and Clippers logos in background.

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Clippers Kawhi Leonard with speech bubble "I'm back" with Mavericks Luka Doncic smaller in background.

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Paul George, James Harden and LA Clippers logo, basketball court in background

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Through the first few months of his return from a torn ACL, Kawhi Leonard has looked so good, he's even had major competitors complimenting how great he's looked. Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid said Leonard looked amazing after playing two games against the Clippers recently.

“He looks amazing,” Embiid said of Leonard. “You can count on him to turn into Michael Jordan in the playoffs. He looks great now, but I think he's gonna be even better once you get to the playoffs.”

The 2023 NBA All-Star Game will be played in Salt Lake City, Utah this year. The weekend full of exhibition games and events will take place February 17-19th, and will include the Rising Stars Challenge, the Skills Challenge, the 3-Point Shooting Contest, the Slam Dunk Contest, and will close out with the 72nd annual NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.