With all of the powerhouses emerging in the packed Western Conference, it seems everyone is counting out the San Antonio Spurs. If past years have any indication, the Spurs will be right up there in the West come season’s end, regardless of talent. The Spurs have gotten off to a mediocre start, winning five of their first nine games but that isn’t close to the biggest issue in San Antonio.
Star forward Kawhi Leonard has remained sidelined with a serious quad issue that arose at the end of last season. Though Leonard’s absence has lagged on longer than expected, TNT reports that head coach Gregg Popovich is hopeful that his franchise centerpiece will be back in action within the next three weeks according to Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News:
TNT reporting Pop is "hopeful" Kawhi could return within next 3 weeks.
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) November 3, 2017
The Spurs haven’t been the same without Kawhi Leonard in their lineup and that shows with an uncharacteristic 5-4 record. Unlike other Western Conference powerhouses, the Spurs don’t have elite talent to deploy from top to bottom.
Outside of Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge is the only other player that could be classified as a star but veterans Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, Patty Mills, and the ageless Manu Ginobili have also helped keep the ship afloat.
When healthy, Leonard is arguably the premier two-way talent in all of the NBA, guarding an opposing team’s best player on one end and averaging 25+ points per game on the other. His game-changing ability will provide this Spurs team with an unbelievable boost upon his return, whenever that may be.
