The San Antonio Spurs announced Saturday that All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard will not play during the preseason as he recovers from an injury. Specifically, Leonard is dealing with “right quadriceps tendinopathy.”
Essentially, Leonard is dealing with a tendon injury at the base of the quadriceps, where it inserts and attaches at the patella (kneecap).
Since we’re so early in the proceedings, it’s far too early to be alarmed by this injury, which can take weeks, or even months, to heal properly. Leonard is the engine that drives San Antonio on both ends of the court. His value was seen clearly during the playoffs last spring when he was injured and the Spurs lost all momentum against the Golden State Warriors.
He’s perhaps the Association’s best two-way player, and as long as he’s back in action for the majority of the season the Spurs will be just fine.
Last season, Leonard averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.