Clippers star Kawhi Leonard took part in Thursday’s non-contact practice in Dallas, a move to further re-integrate him back into the offense. Leonard returned to the court for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night and seemed at times an awkward fit.
Certainly, out of sync.
Leonard had missed 23 days because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee and the team learned how to win while he was away. The Clippers finished out the season, going 4-1 with their stars playing and 4-4 overall as Leonard rehabbed his knee.
In his return on Tuesday, Leonard missed 10 of his 17 shots and finished with 15 points – far off his 23.7-point regular-season average, and had seven rebounds and four steals in 35 minutes. Coach Tyronn Lue said the six-time All-Star felt good afterward but wasn’t sure whether he would see increased minutes in Game 3 on Friday night.
Increased minutes could help shake off the rust.
“Not sure yet,” Lue told reporters Thursday in Dallas. “It’s something we have to talk about with medical (personnel). Not sure if his minutes will go up, but he feels good.”
Lue said Leonard is missing his timing, not only with his shots, but when he’s getting to his spots and how he’s getting there.
“I think mentally he felt OK (thinking) ‘I got over that hurdle. I feel good. I can do this,’” Lue said of Leonard. “I’m hoping he continues that at the start of the game tomorrow.”
Center Ivica Zubac said the adjustment period with Leonard was short-lived. He, Paul George, Terance Mann and Norman Powell have played with Leonard for several years.
“We’ve been here for five years or so, I would say we’re pretty familiar with his game and with what he would do,” Zubac said. “He was out for (23) days, so obviously there’s going to be some adjustments even for him, conditioning-wise.
“And the game is going to be a little different with a player that good coming back. You gotta adapt to him, too. So, there’s going to be a little adjustment, but we have a lot of reps together and we know how we want to play. Come tomorrow, we’ll do better.”
DEFENSIVE OUTING
The Clippers held the Mavericks to less than 100 points for the second game in a row, a result Lue pinned largely on the team rediscovering its defensive mindset heading into the playoffs.
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With Leonard on the shelf, the Clippers saw their defensive rating slip to 16th in the NBA after hanging around the top three spots shortly after February’s All-Star Game. Lue said the Clippers went into the series focused on stopping the All-Star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, a tactic that worked in Game 1, when they built a 29-point lead before settling for a 109-97 victory.
In Game 2, Dallas responded with a 96-93 victory with Doncic and Irving got involved in the defense. After that game, Doncic said being the target of the Clippers’ defense got him going on the defensive end, too, adding that “if they want to attack me that’s fine.”
“I thought we got a little too stagnant trying to attack him,” Lue said of Doncic. “He did a good job. He sat down and took the challenge. Kyrie did the same thing as well. We just have to see what happens in Game 3.”
CLIPPERS AT MAVERICKS
What: Western Conference first-round playoff series, Game 3
When: Friday, 5 p.m. PT
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
TV/Radio: Bally Sports SoCal, ESPN, 1150 AM