8 NBA stars who will be playing under immense pressure to deliver in 2024-25

Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers

I kept going back and forth on this one but I do believe that there is significant enough pressure on Kawhi Leonard for him to be considered on this list. With Paul George now in Philadelphia, all eyes will be on Kawhi as the Clippers look to remain relevant in a deep Western Conference. If Kawhi can't stay healthy or isn't impactful enough for him to make a difference with James Harden and the rest of the retooled roster, it could be time to alter the way Kawhi. Even though he's struggled with injuries lately, the overwhelming belief is that he's still one of the best two-way players in the league.

But if he can't keep the Clippers in the playoff mix this season, perhaps it could be time for LA to explore some changes. Sometimes it's easy to forget that Kawhi is still "just" 33 years old. Can he still carry a team? We're going to find out first-hand this season.

There may not be the same type of pressure on Kawhi as some of the other players on this list considering he's actually accomplished big things already in the NBA. But that doesn't mean he still doesn't have some proving to do this season.