The San Antonio Spurs have been without the services of star forward Kawhi Leonard for the last three games to due to a strained left shoulder.
Despite that, Leonard has voiced little concern over the injury keeping him out of the mix for an extended period of time, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio-Express News.
“It's nothing serious,” Leonard said after the Spurs' 93-81 loss to the Lakers on Thursday night.
Leonard is dealing with a partial tear in his left shoulder that head coach Gregg Popovich recently revealed has been bothering him. He had played in just eight contests following his return from a quad injury that forced him to miss the first 27 games of the season. There had been some encouraging signs that he was beginning to play at an elite level on both ends of the court.
In those eight games, Leonard is averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 block with the Spurs holding a 4-4 record with him back in the fold. This includes scoring in double figures in seven of the eight appearances including 20 or more in three out of the last four.
However, this latest setback will put the Spurs on a more precautionary route with Leonard's health. He is the key cog and ultimate determinant to their overall success season and well beyond it. San Antonio will likely not rush him back from the injury given that he's dealing with a partial tear in his shoulder, which could see him miss a few more games to allow his body to recover a bit more before he gets back on the court.
If he is forced to miss any lengthy stretches, the Spurs have proven that they can stay on the right track currently holding the third-best record in the Western Conference at 28-15. Former All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge has stepped up in the increased offensive role to take over as the leading scoring option with Leonard out of the mix. He is currently averaging a team-best 22.6 points on 49.4 percent shooting from the field with 8.6 rebounds per game.
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