Kawhi Leonard returned for the LA Clippers, but the end result was still as disappointing as usual.
On Sunday afternoon, Clipper fans had a different air of excitement around them as Kawhi Leonard was set to return from his 10-game absence against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
What started as a promising day ended up as disappointing as all the others that have happened this season. The Clippers started the first quarter strong, but collapsed entirely numerous times throughout the game to lose by a score of 120-105.
After the loss, the Clippers now have a horrifyingly disappointing record of 5-12, which is bottom four in the Western Conference. They have the same amount of wins as a Utah Jazz team that isn't trying to win, and a Dallas Mavericks team that's missing two of its best players. Simply put, disappointing is an understatement to how bad the Clippers have been this season.
How Did Kawhi Leonard Perform in His Return?
Leonard was on a minutes restriction in his return against the Cavaliers, playing only 26 minutes. In that time, he was a +3 on the court, putting up 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists on 46/60/100 shooting from the field.
There was a bizarre moment to start the game where Leonard checked out and went into the locker room in only the first two minutes of the game, but then he promptly returned.
Leonard looked solid in his minutes, but it wasn't enough to defeat the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers.
What Went Wrong for the Clippers?
The Clippers had two major issues against the Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon.
One, LA's three-point shooting absolutely failed them. The team shot a measly 8/26 from the field, with Harden shooting 0/8 from deep. Many times when they missed a three-pointer, it automatically led to a fastbreak basket for the Cavaliers. On the other end, the Cavaliers made 17/45 threes, with both Donovan Mitchell and De'Andre Hunter lighting up the Clippers with 9/16 threes.
Two, the Clippers' bench was destroyed by the Cavaliers. LA's bench scored a grand total of 13 points before garbage time, while the Cavaliers had 41 points. The biggest issue off the bench was the play of Brook Lopez.
Lopez was unable to guard anyone, couldn't post anyone up, and was a team low -24 in 11 minutes on the court. For as tremendous as Ivica Zubac was with his 33-point, 18-rebound performance, every time he stopped off the court for Lopez, the Clippers were obliterated.
Unfortunately for the Clippers, they have an even better Lakers team waiting for them on Tuesday.