Kawhi Leonard was the frequent subject of “load management” during his year with the Toronto Raptors, but it sounds like he’d prefer to make that a thing of the past this season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Leonard said during his introductory press conference Wednesday that his goal for 2019-20 is to play out the full season, and he feels he will be at “full strength” from day one, unlike when he got started in Toronto.
“This year coming up, I’m going to be at full strength. The goal is to play the full season.” — Kawhi Leonard
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 24, 2019
Leonard was limited to 60 games for Toronto last season, with the Raptors frequently opting to shield him from back-to-backs while carefully managing his regular season workload. It paid off in the playoffs, with Leonard claiming Finals MVP, and he credited that management with helping him shine on the biggest stage.
Ultimately, players want to play, and Leonard sounds ready to take on a full season without restrictions. It remains to be seen whether the Clippers will allow their new star to be handled that way.
