It appeared Kawhi Leonard’s career was on an unbending downward trajectory but in the 2023-24 season, he played more games than he has at any point since the 2016-17 season, while simultaneously pushing his scoring volume and efficiency to outrageous new levels. Stop me if you've heard how this one ends, though — Leonard was only available for two games in the playoffs and the Clippers were knocked out in the first-round.
- Ian Levy
FanSided Creative Editorial Director
That positive momentum he built last season was mostly wiped away — he's only played 15 games this season and only topped 30 minutes in three of those. His shooting percentages are way down but he's still an absolute force at both ends of the floor ... when he's on the floor.
Despite the depth of talent on the Clippers roster, he often seems to be single-handedly transforming them into a contender — they're 9-6 in the games he's played, with wins over the Lakers, Bucks and Grizzlies. Leonard is still an elite contributor at both ends of the floor and he’s on a mission to prove that injuries, missed games and load management won’t write the final chapters of his career. His doubters are many but don’t be surprised if he gets the last [awkwardly robotic] laugh.