If you were hoping the end of the preseason would bring clarity on Kawhi Leonard’s timeline for return, well, you should probably know better by now. The 33-year-old was preemptively shut down for the Los Angeles Clippers’ exhibition slate and still isn’t practicing with the team as he recovers from what we’re (essentially) left to assume is continued right knee inflammation.

Navigating the Western Conference without Kawhi playing in a majority of games is never a reality for which the Clippers were ready. They are even less prepared with Paul George in Philadelphia. A 35-year-old James Harden is now the lifeblood of their offense—and, potentially, their entire team.

Granted, Los Angeles and Leonard could strictly be taking precautionary measures in advance of games that count toward the standings. But, uh, assistant coach Brian Shaw’s recent comments paint a different picture.

“We’re out here,” he told reporters (via Tomar Azarly of ClutchPoints). “He has not been a part of what we’ve been doing on a daily basis. I know the company line has been that we’re going to be patient with him. He’s doing everything that he can to rehab it and strengthen that knee on his own with our medical staff and we just dealing with the guys that we have.”

This reads like someone trying and only somewhat succeeding to show restraint. And if you are worried something about his tone gets lost in transcription, go ahead and watch the clip for yourself: