Kawhi Leonard could come off the bench for the Clippers to start the season

There we were, calmly preparing for tonight’s game, when Yahoo Sport’s Chris Haynes drops the news that the Los Angeles Clippers are considering bringing Kawhi Leonard off the bench.

While it may not a great surprise or even a huge story in the grand scheme of things, it feels like a slight setback in what we thought had been just about the perfect recovery up until now. Leonard had looked in great physical shape in the offseason and that had translated onto the court when he was featured in preseason.

So what does it mean for the team if he’s sitting? Luckily the Clippers are more than equipped to deal without Leonard in the minutes that he won’t be on the court, that’s the major benefit of having such a deep roster. However, it does potentially mean that the path to his full recovery has been altered slightly.

Leonard is of course a player who has a history of taking matters pertaining to his health into his own hands, having all but been traded away from the San Antonio Spurs for that very reason. The Clippers seem to be much more understanding than his former organization was, but they’ll still want to have their star man on the court more often than not.

That could still be the case, and perhaps there’s no need for any hot takes on these latest reports. Ultimately, this franchise is building themselves up for a deep postseason run, and managing Leonard’s health will be absolutely crucial to ensure they can get the very best of him right until the last throws of that.

Kawhi Leonard for Sixth Man of the Year though, anyone?