By Jordan Long
The San Antonio Spurs will be without forward Kawhi Leonard. He is out of the lineup with a partial tear in his left shoulder. The injury occurred during the Spurs 103-89 victory over the Phoenix Suns. According to ESPN, Head Coach Gregg Popovich isn’t sure how many games he will miss saying, “ I don’t know. It depends on how his shoulder goes. It’s too bad because he was starting to get back into form a little bit after playing a couple of games.”
This is a big loss for the Spurs. Leonard is one of their best small forwards. On the court, he can drive to the lane or make outside shots. Leonard averages 15.9 points per game. Those points take pressure off of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobilli, and Danny Green for them to score.
Leonard also plays defense. He plays close man to man defense making it difficult for opponents to score baskets. Leonard steals the ball and creates fast break opportunities which lead to more points on the scoreboard. He averages 1.8 steals per game.
The Spurs know this is a big loss, but at least it won’t be for the rest of the season. While Leonard is out, Kyle Anderson takes his spot. Anderson can score but won’t make as many points per game with an 8.4 point average. He creates steals and averages 1.2 steals per game.
The Spurs know they will get Leonard back at some point. They are going to revaluate him during the road trip. There are 2 games left, tonight in Sacramento and Thursday in L.A. Hopefully, it won’t be too much longer that Leonard is out of the lineup. They need his defensive and offensive skills.
Who do you think must step up with Kawhi Leonard out of the lineup?
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