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The Toronto Raptors will be without forward Kawhi Leonard for a second consecutive game on Wednesday, as he’s currently dealing with a lingering hip injury. While Leonard missed Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, it was somewhat expected he could return for the second leg of this back-to-back.
As the Raptors face off with the Golden State Warriors in a game some are labeling as a potential NBA Finals preview, the timeline for Leonard’s return remains somewhat of a mystery. The Athletic’s Shams Charania first detailed the news of Leonard sitting with the hip injury.
Let’s take a look at the latest info on the injury as well as any news on Leonard’s potential return to the floor for the Raptors.
When Leonard’s Injury Happened
Leonard’s injury reportedly came late during the team’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. In that game, he played 37 minutes while scoring 20 points on 8-18. Leonard also added on eight rebounds and four assists on the offensive end. The major concern here comes from the fact that the hip injury was originally believed to be a minor one, but has now held him out for consecutive games.
Along with that, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports revealed that Raptors coach Nick Nurse targeted this back-to-back as the first Leonard would play of the year. There was also hope he would play on Tuesday against the Clippers but remained sore after shootaround.
Leonard’s Timeline for Return
The All-Star forward’s hip may be causing soreness, but there’s been no rumbling of anything major beyond this going on with the injury. There’s a chance the Raptors and possibly Leonard are just paying it safe as he tries to get back to 100 percent. With that said, it’s not as if Wednesday’s game against the Warriors was the start of an extended break for the Raptors.
If that were the case, it would have made sense to give Leonard the extra day off on top of any expected rest days. Following Wednesday’s game, the Raptors play the Portland Trail Blazers Friday and Denver Nuggets Sunday, both on the road. The 27-year-old will almost certainly carry some designation for Friday’s game, but it’s safe to assume that he’ll be good to go before the end of this week.
Leonard is currently averaging 26.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field. We’ll update this post as additional information on the injury is revealed.
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