San Antonio Spurs Roster, Injury News 2018: Kawhi Leonard Dealing With Partial Tear in Left Shoulder
San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard may have to sit out a few more games this season. This time he's going to be sidelined due to a partial tear in his left shoulder.
Leonard hurt his shoulder during their 103–89 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday and it was originally diagnosed as a left shoulder strain. However, the All-Star forward was ruled out of Sunday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich would reveal that the injury was more severe than previously thought.
"I don't know," Popovich said when he asked if Leonard would play at some point during their current road trip, via ESPN. "It depends on how his shoulder goes. It's too bad because he was starting to get back into form a little bit after playing a couple of games," he added.
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The good news is that the Spurs don't seem to think the injury is serious, and they will continue to monitor his shoulder over the next few days.
Leonard missed a huge chunk of the season due to a quadriceps injury and he has only appeared in eight games since he returned to the court.
"It's disappointing. We need him," veteran guard Manu Ginobili said, according to ESPN. "He started to feel better, to feel good and then we lose him for a few games and we don't know how many," he continued.
The two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) Defensive Player of the Year award winner is averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals and a block in under 23 minutes a game this season. He's also shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from three-point range, and 81.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Kyle Anderson should continue to get the start at small forward while Leonard is on the shelf.
