The San Antonio Spurs may be back in position to make the playoffs, but it’s looking more and more likely that they will have to play out the rest of the season without star forward Kawhi Leonard.
According to an ESPN report, Leonard, who has missed almost the entire season due to quadriceps tendinopathy, was originally expected to be back sometime in March. But there have been no signs that his return is imminent, and with 10 games remaining in the regular season, his teammates are playing under the assumption that they’ll be making their playoff run without him.
“For me, he’s not coming back because it’s not helping [to think he is],” said guard Manu Ginobili. “We have to think that he’s not coming back, that we are who we are, and that we got to fight without him. That shouldn’t be changing, at least until he is ready for the jump ball.”
Sore Quad Keeps Leonard Sidelined
Leonard hasn’t played a game in the NBA for more than two months. While the quad injury has been an issue all season, he did return to action for about a month starting on December 12, playing in nine games.
Since then, there have been rumors and reports that suggested he could come back to the lineup soon, including last week when there was talk that Leonard might play against the New Orleans Pelicans. But none of these prognostications have come to fruition.
According to San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, there is no specific timetable for Leonard’s return – or a cutoff date for when the team would decide their star would be shelved for the remainder of the season.
“No, why would we do that?” Popovich said at a press conference. “Until he gets cleared [by the medical staff], we can’t make a decision on when he’s coming back. So once he gets cleared, then he and I can sit down and talk and see what we think about an appropriate time to come back.”
Frustrated Teammates
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday suggested that at least some Spurs players were feeling frustrated with the Leonard situation. Citing league sources, Wojnarowski wrote that guard Tony Parker spearheaded a players-only meeting after San Antonio’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
Several players reportedly implored Leonard to rejoin the team, while he insisted that he needed to remain out of the lineup. The report also said that while Leonard has impressed the team in drills and has considered coming back several times as of late, he has ultimately decided he wasn’t ready each time.
Even without Leonard, the Spurs have been hot lately, winning their last five games to move up to a tie for the 5th position in the Western Conference. That gives them a three-game cushion to work with over the final 10 games if they want to make the playoffs.
Whether Leonard returns or not, San Antonio isn’t expected to seriously compete for a title this year. Bet365 currently has the Spurs listed at 40/1 odds to win the NBA Championship, far behind favorites like the Golden State Warriors (20/23) and Houston Rockets (21/10).