The clippers are bringing Kawhi Leonard off the bench— for now
NBA fans were ecstatic to hear that superstar Kawhi Leonard would make his long-awaited return to the court after not seeing him compete in a game since June 14, 2021. However, finding out that he would be coming off the bench was a little underwhelming and deflating for fans.
The Clippers have been beyond careful with how they are handling Leonard’s return, playing him just 21 minutes per game and bringing him off the bench. The Clippers clearly don’t want another Kawhi Leonard x San Antonio situation on their hands and bungle his rehab and return.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver warns teams to not #TankforVictor
The NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, did not mince words when he told a group of Phoneix Suns employees that tanking is a “serious issue” and that the NBA is closely monitoring teams and their willingness to compete on a nightly basis.
With teams already salivating over French phenom Victor Wembanyama, Silver has made it clear that teams have been put on notice and they are not to tank, even if it’s for a “once-in-a-generation player.”
Silver surprisingly and candidly spoke about the possibility of adopting a soccer-style relegation system that would demote one or two NBA teams down to the G-League as an incentive to not tank. But, he said it was unrealistic and wouldn’t be beneficial for their broadcast partners or from a competitive standpoint.
But, the notion that Silver has entertained the idea could mean that big changes to the lottery and how teams approach getting a chance to land major prospects may be on the table in the next collective bargaining talks with the Player’s Association.