The LA Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard to start the 2021-22 regular season, and there's really no timetable for the star's return.

Leonard underwent surgery to repair a partially torn ACL on July 12th, and if his operation was a complete reconstruction of the ligament as if it was a partial tear, he would almost be a lock to miss the entire season. Unfortunately, that would likely rule out the possibility of championship run. What would need to happen for the Clippers to make a title run?

First, it'd require Kawhi Leonard to make a miraculously speedy recovery and be cleared for basketball activities around mid-February or March. The regular season is scheduled to end the middle of April and the NBA Finals are scheduled to start in early June. If the Clippers can stay afloat and stay on pace for 47-48 wins, which I predicted they'll do, an accelerated timeline could allow Leonard to return to practice and possibly game action during the late stages of the year.

A championship run even if Kawhi Leonard is healthy would also require jumps in development from both Luke Kennard and Terance Mann, two guys who were crucial to the Clippers' 2021 playoff run. Both are capable of it, however, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them take advantage of the opportunities presented to them this season.

If Kawhi Leonard is able to return at any point in the season, it would easily be a win for the Clippers. The fact of the matter is both he and the Clippers will err on the side of caution with his history of leg injuries. If Kawhi's doctors don't feel he's ready to return, he won't, and that's fine. There's no point in having Leonard work towards a return from one of the most serious sports injuries for seven-to-eight months only to have him come back and re-injure it or suffer another injury.

Kawhi Leonard averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game for the Clippers last season. He wasn't able to participate in the final eight postseason games as the team reached its first ever Western Conference Finals, but did turn in spectacular performances when he did play.