Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers? Latest injury update from the LA Clippers (Oct. 25)

The LA Clippers will face the Portland Trail Blazers tonight (Oc. 25) for their season opener, and the health of Kawhi Leonard is a major talking point for their potential success.

He'a infamous for missing a ton of games and spearheading the "load management" era in the NBA, so his presence on the court is usually big news for fans.

The LA Clippers host the Trail Blazers at the Crypto.com Arena before heading out to Utah to play their second game of the season.

The availability, or lack thereof, of their two stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard is a huge reason for their playoff disappointments over the last four years. They promised the city championship banners but don't even have a Finals appearance to show for it.

The NBA has implemented strict rules about load management and set a minimum game criterion for stars to qualify for season awards and accolades.

If any player is unable to play 65 games, he will not be named to any All-NBA team or win any end-of-season awards like the MVP or the DPOY. This step was taken to ensure that fans get to watch who they paid for and that star players value the regular season.

As per Kawhi Leonard, he'a completely healthy and ready to play.

Leonard has played 60 games or less since he arrived in Los Angeles. If the new rules work, and stars do lace up for games they would otherwise have sat out, we can expect to see a lot more of the Klaw.

As per the official injury report submitted by the LA Clippers, Kawhi Leonard is available for the contest against Portland. Brandon Boston Jr. and Terrance Mann are ruled out, while Bones Hyland is questionable due to a sprain in his left ankle.

Mann was announced as a starter by coach Tyronn Lue but won't see the floor in the season opener. We can expect Norman Powell to start in his place instead.

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Kawhi Leonard claims he is 100% healthy and has no lingering pain this season

Kawhi Leonard at the LA Clippers Media Day 2023

Kawhi Leonard spoke to the media on the LA Clippers Media Day and said he wasn't fully healthy last season.

He was playing with a lot of uncertainty around his knee and that he couldn't completely trust his body. Leonard has always been extra cautious with his body. He will sideline himself during slight pain and doesn't prefer playing through pain or banged up.

However, now he says that he's over his ACL issues and is not dealing with any lingering pain.

"I feel good and I'm ready to go" Leonard said yesterday. "I think last year came off of ACL, so pretty much it's like a two-year process. Talking to guys [who suffered ACL injuries] and seeing when they do start feeling good or just trusting your knee, it's just something that you feel and I mean one day just turns around for you."

"It's about how your overall body's feeling at the time, and I felt like I was still trying to get through some humps and just get healthy…But at that point [last regular season] I was just trying to get healthy, just trying to move"

Clipper Nation is certainly excited to start a season with their two star players healthy and ready to contribute.

The LA Clippers have needed a fresh start for a while now, and this season seems like they turn things around.

Everyone on the team is healthy and motivated. If nobody is sidelined, we can expect a deep playoff run from Kawhi Leonard and Co.