What is Kawhi Leonard's latest adductor injury setback? Examining extent and recovery timeline

When healthy, Kawhi Leonard remains one of the best two-way forwards playing in the NBA today. However, Leonard has a complicated injury history in his career. In Wednesday night's game between the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors, the forward is set to miss the matchup. Sports Illustrated's Joey Linn reported that Leonard will be sidelined due to a left adductor strain:

This season, Leonard has missed four games with hip contusion issues. Without the superstar forward on the court, the LA Clippers have a 2-2 record. Given the anticipated matchup against Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the Clippers will have to manage and find a way to secure a victory.

This will be the fourth and final meeting between these two teams. In their regular season head-to-head, the Clippers have the advantage with a 2-1 record. Before being sidelined from Wednesday night's game, Kawhi Leonard was averaging 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists against the Warriors in his career.

However, they are heading into this matchup coming off Monday night's 121-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors are eyeing their sixth straight win, coming off their 129-107 victory against the Utah Jazz on Monday.

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What is Kawhi Leonard's latest adductor injury setback?

So what is Kawhi Leonard's latest adductor injury setback? Despite only missing four games this season, this latest injury setback is unexpected with no definite answer as of yet on the severity of the injury.

Whether it's the medical staff taking a cautious approach with him as the NBA All-Star break draws near, fans weren't expecting him to be out for the Golden State Warriors matchup.

Additionally, a left adductor strain involves complications around the group of muscles that bring the thigh to the midline of the body. Injuries involving the adductor are classified into three grades. Grade 1 is only a minor injury, while Grade 2 features a severe state of the injury. Lastly, Grade 3 is the most concerning one as there is a tear in the tendon apart from the bone.

When it comes to a left adductor strain, the recovery timeline depends on the severity of the injury. According to Sporting News' Gilbert McGregor, recovery from this injury will involve rest and proper stretching, while making sure that he isn't immediately rushed into basketball activities.

As of now, the hope for fans is that the injury isn't anything to be concerned about as Kawhi Leonard remains one of the most important pieces for the LA Clippers (35-17). The team has been playing incredibly as of late, sitting in third place in the Western Conference.

With the team's goal of winning an NBA championship this season, Leonard will need to be at full strength and ready to go once the postseason arrives.