Kawhi Leonard downplays adverse effects of Paul George's departure - "I don't look at him to be my savior"

Kawhi Leonard's LA Clippers suffered a blow over the offseason, losing star wing Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. While many expect LA to take a considerable step back in the 2024-25 NBA season, Leonard downplayed the adverse effects of his co-star's departure.

After joining forces in 2019, Leonard and George spent five seasons as Clippers teammates. During that span, they faced constant championship expectations. However, they only won three playoff series in five years, regularly getting held back by injuries.

Following their lack of postseason success, George couldn't secure a maximum contract extension from LA last season, with the organization reportedly lowballing him. Thus, he took his talents to the Eastern Conference, finalizing a four-year, $211.6 million max deal with Philly in early July.

The Clippers rebounded by signing a series of veteran role players, including Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, Kevin Porter Jr., Mo Bamba and Kris Dunn. Nevertheless, they are widely projected to fall short of last season's fourth-place Western Conference finish (51-31).

During Monday's NBA media day, Leonard was asked how the loss of George changed his mindset entering the upcoming season. The two-time NBA champion briefly cited his former co-star's impact before expressing relative indifference.

"He obviously made things easier on the court for players, but as far as my mental focus going into the game, I don’t feel like it’s going to be harder for me, personally," Leonard said.

"... I don’t look at him to be my savior. I take on my own role and my challenges that I have to face each and every game, and go in there and try to dominate the game."

While Kawhi Leonard appears unfazed by George's departure, the Clippers still have to find a way to replace his offensive production, particularly in late-game scenarios.

George averaged 22.6 points per game last season, serving as LA's second-leading scorer. Meanwhile, he regularly took on additional offensive responsibilities whenever Leonard was sidelined.

So, the new-look Clippers could have a tough time surviving another extended absence from Leonard.

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Kawhi Leonard on his motivation to keep fighting through injuries in Clippers' post-Paul George era

While injuries have forced Kawhi Leonard to miss most of the last two playoffs, the six-time All-Star expressed optimism about his chances of bouncing back.

During Media Day, Leonard pointed out that his regular-season availability has trended upward over the last three years. Last season, he appeared in 68 contests, marking his most since the 2016-17 campaign with the San Antonio Spurs.

"I can play. I mean, I played my most games I've played in a long time last year," Leonard said. "I played like 68 games, was one of the guys that probably didn't take a rest break earlier on in that season. ... I went from zero games to 52 to 68, so let's see if I can keep it going from there."

After being limited to two 2024 playoff outings because of right knee inflammation, Leonard underwent offseason surgery to address the issue. However, that knee has reportedly already been surgically repaired twice.

Thus, the superstar forward noted that he will cautiously approach the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

"Everything has been going great for the past month, but being very cautious for reasons in the past," Leonard said. "Haven’t been able to finish some playoff runs, so making sure I stay healthy for those important moments."

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