After devastating loss, Spurs get even more bad news - report
The best hope the San Antonio Spurs had of giving the Golden State Warriors a series in round one of the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs will reportedly remain on the sidelines.
League sources told Yahoo Sports that Spurs star forward Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs as he continues to rehabilitate from a right quad injury.
Leonard has been out since Jan. 13 with an injury to his right quadriceps called quadricep tendinopathy.
The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year missed the first 27 games of the season due to the injury and returned to action on Dec. 12. But Leonard played in only nine games before going back on the shelf because of the nagging quad injury.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported back in January that there was distance and discord between the team and Leonard over the treatment, rehab and timetable of his injury.
Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania said Leonard has been in New York rehabbing with the approval of the team. League sources told Charania that Leonard has not been cleared to play by his doctors.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked Sunday if there was any chance Leonard would rejoin the team during the playoffs.
“You’ll have to ask Kawhi and his group that question,” Popovich answered.
Any chance Kawhi rejoins the team during the series, Pop? Pop: "You'll have to ask Kawhi and his group that question."
— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) April 15, 2018
It’s unfortunate for the Spurs, as Leonard is not only one of the best defenders in the league, but also a game-changing offensive player.
Last season, Leonard averaged 25.5 points per game, as well as 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals. His efforts earned him a First-Team All-NBA selection.
ESPN Sources: San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard still has not been cleared by his medical team. He is improving, but will continue rehabbing in New York. There is no timetable on his return, but he is being examined routinely.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 15, 2018
In the 2017 Western Conference Finals, the Spurs were dominating the Warriors in Game 1 until Leonard was forced to leave the contest after Warriors center Zaza Pachulia stepped on his ankle.
With Leonard out, the Warriors roared back and eventually won the game. While Leonard did attempt to come back in the fourth quarter, he was ineffective and hobbled by the ankle injury. He missed the rest of the series and the Warriors rolled to a 4-0 sweep.
On Saturday, the Warriors pounded the Spurs in Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup 113-92. Without their best player, there’s little chance things will improve for the Spurs over the remainder of the series.
This leaves a big question that will have to be answered in the offseason: Will Leonard be back with the Spurs? The situation has many teams wondering if they could pry him away from San Antonio.
USA Today reported Saturday that the Los Angeles Clippers were interested in putting together a package to trade for the star forward.
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