The Clippers are going to need Leonard, but Lue seems encouraged.
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue addressed the media before Monday's game against the San Antonio Spurs and shared what he knew about Kawhi Leonard's left ankle sprain, which isn't much at this point.
Leonard left Saturday's 118-109 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter after landing awkwardly while defending DeMar DeRozan, and he did not return to the game.
Lue was honest about where things stand and didn't try to sugarcoat the situation, saying "I hope it's not more than that (a couple games). I really don't have a concern because I don't really know yet. We're basically just waiting to hear back what happens (from medical). We'll see."
Leonard Has Been Upgraded to Questionable
The good news is that Leonard has already been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday's road game against the New Orleans Pelicans, which suggests the injury may not be as bad as it looked in the moment.
Leonard sat out Monday's game against the Spurs, and the Clippers dropped to 34-34 on the season with the loss, sitting as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Before the injury, Leonard was putting together one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three in 53 games.
He earned his seventh All-Star selection this season and has been the driving force behind the Clippers' turnaround from a 6-21 start to legitimate playoff contention.
The 65-Game Rule Could Be a Problem
The bigger concern beyond just missing a few games is Leonard's eligibility for end-of-season awards under the NBA's 65-game rule.
Leonard has played in 53 of the Clippers' 68 games this season, meaning he has already missed 15 games and can only afford to miss two more the rest of the way to stay eligible for honors like All-NBA and MVP.
The Clippers have 14 games remaining on the schedule, which means Leonard would need to play in at least 12 of them to hit the 65-game threshold.
Given his history with injuries and the Clippers' tendency to be careful with their franchise player, that margin is razor thin, and any extended absence would knock him out of the running entirely.
Leonard already missed close to a month in November with an ankle injury, and the Clippers can't afford to lose him again when they are fighting to hold on to a Play-In spot.
What's Next for the Clippers
The Clippers are set to begin a stretch of seven straight road games starting Friday, so getting Leonard back sooner rather than later would be huge for a team that has gone 15-19 away from the Intuit Dome.
Los Angeles brought in Darius Garland from Cleveland at the trade deadline and he has been averaging 18.0 points and 6.9 assists per game this season, giving the Clippers a legitimate second playmaker alongside Leonard.
If Leonard can return for Wednesday's game against the Pelicans, the Clippers will feel a lot better about their chances over the final stretch.
For now, Lue and the rest of the team are waiting on the medical staff and hoping that his star forward will only miss a game or two rather than something more serious.