The San Antonio Spurs have played much of the season without the injured Kawhi Leonard, as he recovered from a troublesome quad injury. As the questions continue to mount about whether Leonard will appear in a playoff game for his seventh-seeded Spurs, Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania reports that Leonard will indeed miss the rest of the postseason.
Following from Yahoo Sports,
San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss the remainder of the postseason as he continues to rehabilitate his right quadriceps injury, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Leonard has been rehabbing in New York because that is where his medical staff is located, and he has not been cleared by his doctors, league sources said. Time has run short for Leonard — one of the league’s best players when healthy — to make a sensible return to the Spurs, who lost Game 1 of their first-round series to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Leonard has made strides recently in training and is focused on regaining his full health, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Spurs managed without Leonard for most of the early parts of the regular season, playing as the third seed in the Western Conference for much of that time. Leonard has only appeared in nine games this season after he suffered another setback in his recovery.
When head Popovich was asked before Game 1 against the Warriors if Leonard could be expected back in the series, Popovich answered that is something in which only “Leonard and his group” can provide accurate details.
#Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been told by Kawhi Leonard's 'group' that the all-star forward is not ready to go….
(via @clippittv) pic.twitter.com/FgGhCGL9Xz
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) April 14, 2018
Leonard has been away from the team with his medical staff in conjunction with the NBA, Yahoo reports:
Leonard’s rehab program in New York has been in collaboration and with the approval of the Spurs’ medical staff, league sources said.
