NBA Rumors: 'Increasing Doubt' Kawhi Leonard Plays for Clippers vs. Mavs Amid Injury

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard's ailing knee will likely keep him out for the start of their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, there is "increasing doubt" Leonard will be available for Game 1 on Sunday.

Head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that Leonard has been going through shooting drills throughout the week and would do so again on Saturday, but he hasn't gone through contact at this point.

"He shot yesterday, he was on the floor," Lue said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "Today, he will be able to shoot more with a little bit more movement. And he is going to go through some of the practice as well."

Any sort of injury to Leonard around the postseason is going to set off all of the alarm bells for the Clippers. He has suffered season-ending injuries in each of the team's past two playoff appearances, including a torn meniscus last year.

Leonard missed the final eight games of the regular season due to a knee issue.

The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania (22:30 mark) reported on April 18 that Leonard received an injection to alleviate the inflammation in his knee with the goal of getting him on the court for the start of the first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks.

This was Leonard's healthiest season since he joined the Clippers in the summer of 2019. He started 68 games, his most in any season since 2016-17 when he was still with the San Antonio Spurs.

Leonard was terrific in those 68 starts, averaging 23.7 points on a career-high 52.5 percent shooting with 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. His presence is essential for the Clippers to have a shot at making a run through the Western Conference playoffs.

If Leonard is unable to go, the Clippers will rely heavily on Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook to create offense.

The Clippers will host the Mavericks in Game 1 at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.