http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...g-injured-forward-kawhi-leonard-return-season SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs continue to operate under the assumption that star forward Kawhi Leonard will not return over the final 11 games of the regular season. Leonard showed up at the AT&T Center for the team's annual picture but wasn't present minutes later when the Spurs took part in their shootaround ahead of Wednesday's matchup against the Washington Wizards. "He is not coming back," veteran guard Manu Ginobili said. "For me, he's not coming back because it's not helping [to think Leonard is returning]. We fell for it a week ago again. I guess you guys made us fall for it. But we have to think that he's not coming back, that we are who we are, and that we got to fight without him. That shouldn't be changing, at least until he is ready for the jump ball." Sources told ESPN that Leonard's target date to return from the quadriceps tendinopathy that has kept him out for all but nine games this season has always been "mid-March." But the team continues to list him as out on its official injury report as a component of what it calls "return-from-injury management." Spurs coach Gregg Popovich would not put a timetable on Leonard's return, saying on Saturday the forward had not yet been cleared by his own team of doctors. "Nothing has changed," Spurs guard Patty Mills said. "We obviously hope to get him back, and he's told us that he has taken control of what he can control rehab-wise and injury-prevention-wise. But for us, it's about focusing on what we can on the court. Because like we've said before: We've got to move on. We're at a very important part of the season, and we need to attack this part of the season with everything we have and not have anything else weighing on us." Popovich said, "No, why would we do that?" when asked Monday whether there was a timetable for making a decision to shelve Leonard for the rest of the season. "He's got to be cleared by his medical staff that he's seeing," Popovich said on March 14. "And until he gets cleared, we can't make a decision on when he's coming back. So once he gets cleared, then he and I can sit down and talk and see what we think about an appropriate time to come back. But that clearance has to be obtained first." Popovich and sources within the organization have long maintained that the team will continue to err on the side of caution when it comes to Leonard's injury. It's expected the club will offer the forward a max contract extension worth more than $200 million over the summer. Leonard stepped away to focus on rehabbing the injured quad after a nine-game return to the Spurs that ended on Jan. 13. Leonard resumed working out in San Antonio on Feb. 27 and is feeling "much better," according to the source. Eleven games remain in the regular season, but there remains optimism he will return this season, the source said. Currently on the back end of a six-game home stand, the Spurs (41-30) defeated the Golden State Warriors on Monday for their fourth consecutive victory. San Antonio sits at No. 5 in the Western Conference standings and hasn't missed the playoffs since the 1996-97 season.
I'm impressed how the Spurs have kept the drama of a top 10 player so quite. If this was any other team the terms "hostage" or "ultimatum" would have been used everywhere
Im amazed even teammates like Manu have no idea if hes coming back. Manu thought Leonard was coming back last week because the press said so? why doesn't he just call Leonard, his long time teammate, and ask him? what type of shitty relationship is that.
lol, wow. end of days when Spurs have a player only meeting. the players are begging Kawhi now!? That means that they don't believe he is hurt.
How many spurs fans are hammering Players Tribune right now to see if kashi put up a 1000 word epic to get his side across?
haha. one day after you said this ... a Saturday Player's Only Meeting was leaked!! The conversation was described as tense and emotional at times, league sources said. Several teammates spoke up, expressing frustration and confusion over a growing divide with Leonard that has created significant tension between the franchise star and the Spurs, league sources said. Surely the meeting did take place, so Green is taking about the details of it. Fake News or not, the media will run with this. Spurs/Pop couldn't contain this forever. I'm luving it. I don't think Rudy ever needed a Players-Only meeting. Color me not surprised this is finally happening to Pops. His Franchise Player is against him. I hope the media makes Pops squirm now, and is relentless after all these years of him trying to make fools of them. Let's see how he handles it.
Assuming the report is accurate about the players only meeting, it certainly implies that Leonard's team mates don't believe he is too hurt to play and/or is faking the extent of his injury. Hard to see how that approach is going to work though. Leonard would have to admit he could have been playing all this time. If he was the type of person to fake/exaggerate his injuries it seems unlikely he would admit it or the circumstances that would lead him to do that would have changed. Alternatively he really does feel he isn't healthy enough to play and having team mates tell him that they think he is faking or not toughing out something he should be able to play thru can only make things worse and probably drive him to want to leave the Spurs. Assuming that wasn't already his desire.
Mike Finger, Spurs beat reporter, reported on the players’ meeting with Kawhi yesterday. Described it as “non-confrontational” and without pressure.
