During Kawhi Leonard's brief but history-making run with the Toronto Raptors, "load management" was a contentious topic. The reigning NBA Finals MVP sat out 22 games last year to rest his sometimes aching knees. And, ahead of Kawhi Leonard's Toronto return on December 11, he is sitting out the Los Angeles Clippers' game against the Indiana Pacers on December 9. According to multiple sources including ESPN, the Clippers announced Leonard would be rested versus the Pacers due to his problematic knees. Chris B. Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweeted that the decision to sit Kawhi has been made due to the need for "knee maintenance." This may not come as too much of a surprise, as he doesn't often play in back-to-back games. The Clippers have their own battles to fight, naturally, but Kawhi must surely have one eye on Wednesday's Toronto reunion. Although the Raptors travelled to Cali to face (and lose to) the Clippers last month, this week's matchup at Scotiabank Arena is the only time all season Kawhi's new team will be in Toronto. Before he hits the court for tip-off on Wednesday, Kawhi will officially receive his NBA championship ring from the Raptors. Expect it to be massive. Doc says Patrick Patterson is starting in place of Kawhi Leonard.Clippers starters:Ivica ZubacPatrick PattersonMoe HarklessPaul GeorgePatrick Beverley— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 9, 2019 The first Clipper to match this line while shooting 65%+ from the floor since 2011.@kawhileonard vs. Washington▪️ 34 PTS▪️ 11 REB▪️ 5 AST pic.twitter.com/16rPcGehmC— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 9, 2019 By sitting out versus the Pacers, it seems likely Kawhi will be fully refreshed and on top form for Wednesday's showdown return to the 6ix. And it seems the announcement of Kawhi sitting out has reignited the "load management" debate. Kawhi killing me with this load management shit 🤬— Kapo ™ (@KohriAmari) December 9, 2019 Kawhi sitting out against Indy tonight.. 🥴 I’m about over this load management nonsense— Croyant (@D_Elliott92) December 9, 2019 @NBA man you’ve gotta do something about this load management thing. Especially considering tickets don’t get cheaper when the stars miss. I purchased tickets tonight to see the Clippers and Pacers cause I wanted to see Kawhi. All these players constantly say screw Indianapolis.— Jared New (@jarednew12) December 9, 2019 Kawhi is not an athlete. He is on load management.— Naija (@SkoolBo05727223) December 9, 2019 But other NBA fans pointed out that without "load management," Kawhi probably wouldn't have played such a big part in helping the Raptors become the best last year. The term load management had been mocked around the NBA last season, but Toronto Raptors and Kawhi Leonard in playoffs showed the world what it is about and became world champions.— Dr Milos Bojovic (@GandalfInSerbia) December 9, 2019 I have no remorse for the load management that Kawhi went through last year, it helped us win the chip 🤷🏼♂️— Brady Lustic (@RealSlimBrady13) December 8, 2019 Regardless of how you may feel about "load management", Toronto will surely put on a show for Kawhi's return. He may have been a one-and-done Raptor, but his legacy is unquestionable. Come Wednesday, of course, it will be time to put any friendships aside and focus on the game. Although we're sure Kawhi and the Raptors will still find time for another cute reunion moment. First, though, the Raptors face the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. After that, it's all eyes on Kawhi. There are stories everywhere. If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityCanada on Twitter and Instagram.