NBA Rumors: Spurs All-Star Kawhi Leonard Set To Return ‘Soon’ From Injury
The long wait may be over for the San Antonio Spurs, as new NBA rumors and reports have emerged regarding Kawhi Leonard’s return to the basketball court. The man who’s considered one of the best if not the best two-way player in the NBA today is nearing that date when he finally can provide assistance to his team which already has positioned themselves near the top of the standings. Here’s the latest on when Spurs fans might finally see Kawhi Leonard back in action this season.
The good news for the Spurs and their fans is Leonard’s return is coming “soon.” In a report from the NBA website, Leonard recently spoke to the media about making his debut this NBA season for the San Antonio Spurs. The All-Star and NBA MVP contender from last season has yet to play, as he’s been sidelined ever since his quadriceps injury in this past postseason’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors. The injury was officially diagnosed as right quadriceps tendinopathy which hurt his team’s chances of upsetting the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. It also has kept Leonard out of action since the NBA preseason and now the first 24 games of the current regular season.
In terms of his health status, Leonard talked about his rehab progress and where he feels he’s at in terms of his return.
“I feel good, soon to come (and) be able to play on the floor. It’s been a long wait, but I’m feeling pretty healthy right now.”
While he didn’t give a more specific timetable, the All-Star forward, who finished third in last season’s MVP voting, also discussed his frustrations with not being able to play yet this season.
“Me not being able to play the game, it was a little frustrating, but my team’s done a great job right now holding their own. A lot of people stepped up in the process and it’s going to be great for us in the long run.”
Leonard went on to add that he still has some more work to do in terms of the rehabilitation progress, but it appears his return is coming soon which is great news for the Spurs. The team recently had injured guard Tony Parker return to the lineup after missing the first 20 games of the NBA season. All four of the games that Parker has participated in have been San Antonio wins.
Their latest home win came against the Detroit Pistons 96-93 behind a trio of double-double performances from Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, and LaMarcus Aldridge. Gay, an offseason free agent signing, has stepped up to help fill the void left as Kawhi Leonard has been moving through his rehabilitation and progressing towards a return to the court. Aldridge has been leading the way with 22.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, which could very well give him a nod towards another All-Star appearance.
It was a nail biter, but the squad got it done last night, defeating the Pistons 93-93. WATCH: https://t.co/i3NzdyU3i1
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 5, 2017
Due to all of those above reasons, San Antonio is still a major factor in the Western Conference standings, even with Leonard sidelined. The team holds a 16-8 record which is third-best in the West behind the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. In fact, the Spurs are only three games behind the Rockets for the top spot and once Kawhi Leonard returns it could quickly catapult them to that into that No. 1 position.
