Charlotte, North Carolina – March 31: Los Angeles Clippers No. 2 Kawhi Leonard brings the ball down the court … [+]
Kawhi Leonard’s Olympic success was short-lived.
The U.S. team announced Wednesday that Leonard will withdraw from team activities leading up to the 2024 Olympics.
According to an official statement, the decision to remove Leonard from this summer’s tournament was a joint decision made by the United States Basketball Association and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Leonard felt healthy enough to play after rehabbing his injured right knee, but respected the team’s decision to stay healthy.
Given Leonard’s poor luck over the past three years, it’s only natural that all involved are treading cautiously. The last thing a player or his team needs is to jeopardize their entire season with a freak knee injury or recurrence. And with the Clippers likely sensing their window to win a championship is closing, they have no choice but to make the most of every opportunity.
Grant Hill, managing director of the U.S. men’s national team, released a personal statement about Leonard’s decision to retire from competition.
“We want to thank Kawhi for his commitment to the U.S. Men’s National Team,” Hill said. “While he has earned the opportunity to represent the United States, USA Basketball and Clippers executives felt it was important to allow Kawhi to be prepared for the NBA season.”
Leonard has taken part in most contact drills and scrimmages and was expected to be available for the U.S. national team’s first exhibition game on Wednesday against Canada.
It didn’t take long to fill his seat.
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White was quickly announced as Leonard’s replacement. Fresh off the best season of his career and a championship, White will be one of America’s utility players off the bench.
The selection wasn’t a surprise. White was rumored to be the pick a few weeks ago after Leonard was forced to miss the final three games of the Clippers’ first-round series against Dallas.
Boston, Massachusetts – June 17: Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics celebrates after making a three-point shot … [+]
Despite this, most of the reaction on social media was negative, with fans wondering why the replacement wasn’t an All-NBA level star or a notable scorer.
But the reality is, White will fill the key role the coaching staff was looking for, and the U.S. team already has players who can score well and shoot with ease.
They have a veteran who is a pick-and-roll creator, a dynamic finisher around the basket and more than capable as a second-side scorer when the defense breaks down on the first action.
Plus, frankly, the U.S. is already the favorite to win the gold medal. Even if Leonard had no replacement, the advantage of American talent over the other athletes would still be overwhelming and undeniable.
There’s nothing wrong with welcoming an intelligent, gritty defender who is energetic on every possession and is also a 40%+ knockdown shooter on spot-up attempts.
White is also a low-effort wing who doesn’t care about the number of shots he gets or the number of touches he gets — another thing Steve Kerr likes. He’d be a great plug-and-play option in just about any lineup the U.S. wants to try. And he’s not the type to complain about getting less playing time or none at all.
As for Leonard, the Clippers’ franchise star will rest 11 weeks to fully recover before NBA training camp begins. Assuming he doesn’t need surgery this summer, Leonard could use the extra time off to heal for the 2024-25 regular season. He and the Clippers know they have little room for error after Paul George left the team in free agency.
Leonard saw the court more frequently last season, playing his most games (68) and his most minutes (2,330) since his time with San Antonio in 2017, resulting in the most efficient year of his career and ultimately earning him a spot on the All-NBA Second Team.
All signs pointed to a healthy season for Leonard before he was suspended by the Clippers on April 1 because of inflammation in his right knee. He missed three full weeks before returning for the second game of the postseason, but he never seemed ready for the explosiveness or speed and intensity that the playoffs demand.
The Clippers are hoping the sabbatical will allow Leonard to be ready to go in October when his three-year, $150 million contract goes into effect.
