NBA: Clippers Coach Explains Kawhi Leonard Benching, Suns Deserved Win

Kawhi Leonard has been phenomenal for the Los Angeles Clippers but will spend time on the bench when needed. Clips head coach Doc Rivers did just that against the Phoenix Suns, a game he believed Phoenix deserved to win.

Leonard was limited to 32 minutes of play against the Suns. It was a game he felt that his team never had a chance of winning. In his eyes, it made no sense to force the issue on the two-time NBA champion. Though he did not mention it, he may have been preventing untoward incidents like injuries or over-fatigue.

"Honestly, I didn't think we were going to win the game. We could have kept him in, but 35 is a lot of minutes. We could play him [for] that if we want; I just chose not to," said Rivers in a report from Omnisport.

"I'm not going to keep him out there when we're not playing right as a group. Why keep him out there?" he added.

In all, Rivers felt that the Suns simply worked hard to earn the win. He gave head coach Monty Williams a lot of credit as well as players like Jevon Carter and Devon Booker. The one-time NBA champion coach did comment on the officiating. Other than that, Rivers felt that they deserve to lose.

The decision to limit Leonard's playing time hardly comes as a surprise. Most teams practice it in an effort to preserve key players for the post-season NBA wars. Without a doubt, the Clippers are tipped to be one of the favorites to make the playoffs. Rivers also revealed how Kawhi had restricted playing time with the Toronto Raptors last season. He explained that if the game was within reach, he would have given Leonard 35 minutes of action.

Looking ahead, all the Clippers can do right now is prepare for their next opponent. Up next for the Clips are the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 28. Los Angeles hosts Charlotte at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA with tip-off happening at 10:30 p.m. The Clippers are odds-on-favorite to prevail over the Hornets.