Kawhi Leonard has played in nine games this season, and it sounds like he might not play in anymore.
That was the indication given by San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich on Wednesday afternoon, when he told reporters that he wouldn’t be surprised if Leonard, who has missed most of the season with a quad issue, does not return this season.
Here is the Popovich comments on Kawhi. Not ready to say he’s out for the season…just would be surprised. So, there’s that … pic.twitter.com/C22ntHgbOY
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) February 21, 2018
Despite being without Leonard for most of the season, the Spurs currently sit third in the Western Conference with a 35-24 record. If that holds, a second round playoff matchup with the Kawhi-less Spurs may actually be more appealing than facing a team like the Timberwolves or Thunder.
The announcement continues a nightmare season for Leonard, who finished third in MVP voting last year. It was expected that Leonard would be good to go after missing the first 27 games of the season with right quadriceps tendinopathy. Leonard lasted just nine games before being put on the shelf to continue his rehab.
Throwing a wrench in things are reports that Leonard’s relationship with the Spurs organization has been hurt due to issues with the rehab process, with ESPN’s Jalen Rose going as far as to say that Leonard wants out of San Antonio.