There are fading hopes for Kawhi Leonard to suit up for the USA Team as he continues struggling with his injury. The management would have to look for a replacement and, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there’s no one better than the Boston Celtics’ Derrick White, who could step up in the veteran’s place.
On Friday’s NBA Countdown, the NBA Insider stated, “I’m told Derrick White looms as a real potential candidate for Team USA in the Summer Olympics if Kawhi Leonard is unable to successfully rehab back from that knee inflammation that kept him out of the back-end of the playoffs.”
After many years of hard work, White found his rhythm playing alongside his Celtics teammates. The guard had a great season, impacting the team with his 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in the regular season, along with averaging 16.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists in the playoffs.
White might not exactly fit in Kawhi’s shoes, but his defense could be beneficial for Steve Kerr’s USA Team. However, everything depends on whether the Clippers’ big man can fully recover ahead of training camp.
Will Kawhi Leonard Make It to Olympics?
As the countdown for the 2024 Paris Olympics has begun, many selected NBA athletes have started preparing themselves for the big stage. However, LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, who was reportedly the last selection on the list, might not be fully ready yet.
The former Spurs forward had a hard time dealing with his knee inflammation. Previously he had ACL and meniscus surgery on the same knee. The injury not only cost him four games against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, but also made him miss eight regular season games.
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The small forward helped the Clippers with an average of 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the regular campaign and could only appear for two games in the post-season tournament.
With no certainty that the 32-year-old would be able to rehab back on time prior to the training which would start early next month, there are replacements who are being considered to be potential candidates.
Also Read: Looking Back at the 14 Players Drafted Before Kawhi Leonard and Where They Are Now
