San Antonio Spurs Roster, Injury News 2017: Still No Timetable for Kawhi Leonard's Return
The San Antonio Spurs probably didn't think Kawhi Leonard was going to be out this long.
The two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) Defensive Player of the Year still hasn't played a single game this season due to right quadriceps tendinopathy, and as of the moment, there is still no timetable for his return to the court.
Fans are starting to worry about his condition, and on Wednesday, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich admitted that he has never encountered a quadriceps injury like the one Leonard is dealing with right now.
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"What's really strange is that [point guard] Tony [Parker] has the same injury, but even worse. They had to go operate on his quad tendon and put it back together or whatever they did to it. So to have two guys, that's pretty incredible. I had never seen it before those guys," Popovich said, via ESPN.
Tony Parker also hasn't played yet this season as he continues to rehabilitate the left quadriceps tendon he tore in the playoff series against the Houston Rockets earlier this year. However, he has been progressing faster in his rehab.
Leonard's slow progress is worrisome, but orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sabrina Strickland has recently told the San Antonio Express-News' Tom Orsborn that the All-Star forward should be fine if the Spurs are telling the truth about his condition.
"Usually, it's just a matter of doing the appropriate type of treatment to get better tissue in that area," Dr. Strickland said. "Typically, with rest and physical therapy, they get over it and get back (in action) pretty quickly," she added.
Of course, it should be noted that Dr. Strickland hasn't examined Leonard herself.
The Spurs are doing fairly well without Leonard thus far this season, but they can't be considered legitimate title contenders if their best player isn't on the floor.
