Kawhi Leonard was back in Dallas on Thursday and Saturday nights, returning to American Airlines Arena, the scene of his 45-point eruption in Game 6 of the Clippers’ 104-97 victory in their Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Mavericks last season.

It’s also the first time he’s been alongside his teammates on the road since mid-December.

Klaw sightings have been scarce this season as Leonard continues to recover from surgery last July to repair a torn right anterior cruciate ligament. He’s also had to steer clear as the league navigated COVID-19 health and safety measures, explained Coach Tyronn Lue, via Zoom, before tipoff for Saturday’s rematch with the Mavs on Saturday night.

The Clippers coach said the presence of a two-time NBA Finals MVP makes a difference – even if he can’t get on the court and compete.

“Just having him around, him and (Paul George), whenever they can come is great, just for our guys to see him, our young guys to see him,” said Lue, with a nod to fellow All-Star win Paul George, who was ruled out indefinitely on Christmas with a torn right ulnar collateral ligament

“When your best players are around it just breeds confidence into everyone else, just having him around has been good.”

As much as he appreciates having Leonard around, Lue said his star’s schedule is going to be determined by his recovery process.

“It kind of depends on how the rehab goes too,” Lue said. “When he’s rehabbing in San Diego or he’s doing his rehabs, just gotta make sure everything kind of adds up.”

There’s been no timetable announced for Leonard’s potential return.

“I think the best answer is, we don’t know,” Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, said recently. “He grinds every single day. He works, his focus is on his rehab, it’s kind of the same approach that he had in terms of his skill development, it applies to his rehabilitation.

“But no one knows. He doesn’t know. But all you can do is just every day continue to control what you can control and see how he responds. Literally nothing has changed, and I know it’s probably a frustrating answer or response but it’s just the reality. We just don’t know.”

Kawhi Leonard sighting. pic.twitter.com/ABxY2Mhc1S

— Dorothy J. Gentry (@DorothyJGentry) February 11, 2022

Kawhi Leonard is here tonight… pic.twitter.com/rJtFnxXaAN

— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) February 11, 2022

FAMILIAR HOOD

Rodney Hood joined the Clippers in Dallas on Saturday, available to make his debut with his new team on second of two games against the Mavericks this week.

The Clippers acquired Hood, a veteran wing, along with forward Semi Ojeleye from the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a four-team deal on Thursday. Ojeleye wasn’t in Dallas on Saturday (“I’ll see him when I get back,” Lue said).

“I love Rodney,” Lue said before tipoff. “Great guy.”

Lue holds Hood in high regard after having coached him in Cleveland, including on the Cavaliers team that reached the NBA Finals in 2017-18.

Lue said their history together will help both he and Hood as the 29-year-old former Duke standout acclimates to his sixth NBA team in eight seasons.

“I think it helps him out a lot, just seeing my coaching style and how I coach and he was with us in Cleveland,” Lue said. “We had a chance to go to the finals, so he played deep into the playoffs, so I think that helps him out a lot.

“And then, just me knowing him and who he is as a player, how to use him, makes it easy for me as well.”

Of course, Lue cautioned that there still will be something of a learning curve for Hood, who this season averaged 3.3 points on 35.1% shooting, to go with 1.7 rebounds in 39 games for the Bucks.

“Today was his first shootaround, kind of just watched and (assistant coach Larry Drew) did a good job of just talking with him and trying to talk him through it,” Lue said. “Having him in Cleveland, some of the things are different than we did in Cleveland .. So we’ll see tonight just kinda how everything goes.”

After the trade became official Thursday evening, Lue offered the following scouting report on a player he knows well: “Rodney’s 6-7, can put the ball on the floor, can run pick-and-roll, can shoot the basketball, solid defender. Another long solid defender who can make shots and play pick and roll and do a lot of things, offensively.”