The Los Angeles Clippers enter a crucial 2025-26 season. It is clear as day that the Clippers are in win-now mode, with the average age of their roster being 33.2 to enter the season.
That makes them the oldest team in the NBA to enter the season, highlighted by Chris Paul (40), Brook Lopez (37), James Harden (36) and their superstar forward Kawhi Leonard (34).
Leonard is entering this season as healthy as he has been in his Clippers tenure. He’s been a hot topic of conversation for his entire career, particularly this offseason with the off-court drama.
Nonetheless, the question around Leonard always looms regarding his health and availability.
That is the biggest question mark for the six-time All-Star, and it remains a question with the season less than a week away.
Clippers head coach Ty Lue spoke to the media on Tuesday and was asked about Leonard’s status in back-to-back games this season.
Lue provided this cryptic answer to the media.
"We're not going to answer that right now… it's a good question, but we don't know right now."
The Clippers have been extremely cautious with Leonard’s availability in back-to-back games, and it appears this will continue this season.
There have been instances where the Clippers have played Leonard in back-to-back games, but it is rare when they do so. Los Angeles has been strategic in that category, particularly on the second night of a back-to-back. They do so to maximize his rest and keep him as healthy as possible, as LA has looked to make deep playoff runs.
That has yet to materialize, but the hope is that changes this season with the flurry of offseason moves they’ve made.
Leonard has played in 56.1 percent of his team’s regular season games since joining the Clippers in 2019. In six seasons, Leonard has played in five of them (missing the entire 2021-22 season), and he played the most games in the 2023-24 season, starting in 68 games.
It’s been a rough go for Leonard and the Clippers since he arrived in LA. His arrival in LA was seen as a move that would bring the Clippers glory for the first time in their franchise. Instead, it’s been one thing after another, both on and off the court.
The Clippers open up their season on Oct. 22 against the Utah Jazz, and their first back-to-back will be on Nov. 3 and 4, which will be a home-and-home game.
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