The Atlanta Hawks are mired in a battle against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, but they have to get right back to it on Saturday with a game against the Clippers. It seemed as though the Hawks would avoid star forward Kawhi Leonard.
That may still be the case.
However, there are conflicting reports about Leonard’s availability for the contest, which is the fourth in the Hawks’ six-game road trip.
“There it is,” OC Register’s Janis Carr posted on X along with a screenshot of the Clipper’s injury report for the game on January 3. “Kawhi will NOT be making his season debut Jan. 4 vs Atlanta.”
There it is… Kawhi will NOT be making his season debut Jan. 4 vs Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/LF8YYGEzmP
— janis carr (@janiscarr) January 4, 2025
However, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Leonard will, in fact, suit up on Saturday.
“I just received word that Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard is expected to make his season debut tomorrow, Saturday, against the Atlanta Hawks,” Haynes said during a “Haynes Brief” posted on X on January 3. “Kawhi’s been out up until this point with right knee injury. I'm told he's feeling good, he wants to go tomorrow. The Clippers want to be cautious, but the expectation is that Kawhi will make his return Saturday against the Hawks.”
Leonard is notably 13-3 against the Hawks in his career, including a 3-2 record versus them as a member of the Clippers.
He has scored at least 25 points against them in seven straight meetings entering this one.
Leonard should not be expected to replicate those numbers – or even see the minutes he would need to accumulate them – in his first game of the season. But it is possible, especially with the defensively sub-par Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Clippers have lost two straight going into their matchup with the Hawks. But they had won three straight, and five of six, before that.
This is the first of two meetings between the two teams. They will meet in Atlanta in March.
The Hawks were 4-1 over their last five games entering Friday’s contest. They still have stops to visit the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns on their road venture before they return home to face the Houston Rockets, and there is no rest for the weary.
They will see the Suns again, in Atlanta, before they head back out for a three-game excursion away from State Farm Arena.
Beginning with that trip, the Hawks will play five of 15 games at home until February 12.