San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard missed the entire preseason with an injured quadriceps tendon. The injury kept Leonard out of the Spurs’ season opener as well. Head Coach Greg Popovich, at the time, was pretty mum on the severity of the injury saying only when the former finals MVP is ready will he play.
The Spurs were able to navigate the Minnesota Timberwolves sans Leonard, but as the competition gets stiffer his services will be missed. And according to video recorded by Larry Ramirez of KSAT 12 in San Antonio, the soft-spoken MVP candidate looks to be some ways away from recovery.
Kawhi Leonard boarding the #Spurs charter flight for Chicago. #KSATsports #KSATnews pic.twitter.com/Z3lgfQOtMc
— Larry Ramirez (@LRam2) October 20, 2017
Now, it’s hard to glean much from a six-second clip of a guy getting onto a plane. What the video does show though is how uncomfortable Leonard seems to be using his injured leg. If the injury is severe enough to keep him away from the action long-term, that could leave the Spurs in a tight spot.
Leonard’s growth and leadership are essential factors for the Spurs machine to operate at full capacity. LaMarcus Aldridge, however, is a fine enough player to have while their star player is sidelined. The team announced a three-year $72 million extension for the 32-year old big man earlier this week.
Aldridge, who reportedly had a heart-to-heart with Popovich about his role in the offense, will be looked to fill the void with Leonard gone. Or at least attempt to. Aldridge is more than capable of leading the Spurs. His role will be different as Pop will undoubtedly look to feature the offensively gifted big man as much as possible.
Leonard averaged a career high in points (25.5), field goal attempts (17.7), and assists (3.5) last season. The former tenth overall pick in 2010 finished third in MVP voting at the end of last year.
