San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich dropped a bomb fresh out of the All-Star break, claiming he'd be surprised if his superstar, Kawhi Leonard, returned this season, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
Leonard was shut down indefinitely after playing nine games with the team, still bothered by a nagging right quadriceps injury that ended his season during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
“We've got to move on,” said Popovich, following the sad news involving his star player.
The Klaw has been unable to return from the injury, despite being deemed less serious than his fellow teammate Tony Parker, who suffered a complete tear of the muscle.
His injury, which was diagnosed as tendinopathy, was ultimately a cause for him to miss several games, but the Spurs left the door open for a potential return by not officially ruling him out for the season.
Leonard put up 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game as a shadow of his former self in very limited play time this season.
Popovich's warning now eliminates any potential hope to see him back on the court, making this LaMarcus Aldridge's torch to carry for the remainder of the season, as San Antonio holds on to the third spot in the playoff race in a virtual tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Spurs will however have another small forward in the lineup, as Rudy Gay has returned from injury and could have a big shot to prove his worth with his new team in this last stretch of the regular season.
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