Normally, Gregg Popovich likes to sit his star players during marquee match-ups for no good reason other than rest (and, of course, as a giant middle finger to anyone who might challenge his authority). But it’s looking like there’s a legitimate reason why Kawhi Leonard will miss Saturday night’s prime-time showdown against the Warriors.
According to a team statement, Leonard has been put into the league’s concussion protocol after leaving Thursday night’s game against the Thunder after getting hit in the head.
Kawhi Leonard has entered the NBA's Concussion Protocol. He will not play in tomorrow's Spurs-Warriors game. pic.twitter.com/hVrGV1IAhN
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 10, 2017
Leonard has recently emerged as a viable MVP candidate in a race that has been headlined by Russell Westbrook and James Harden for most of the season. That’s thanks in no small part to his dominant performance in a gritty victory over the Rockets last week, during which he nailed a clutch three-pointer followed by a game-sealing block on Harden, all within a six-second interval.
Per the league’s concussion protocol, Leonard will have to undergo a battery of tests administered by a physician before he can return to action and could miss multiple games depending on how quickly he progresses. There is no set timetable for a recovery, ultimately leaving it up to his doctor’s discretion.
Leonard’s absence will ostensibly offer the Warriors a bit of a breather as they head into a brutal stretch of the schedule while trying to hang on to the top spot in the West. After an ugly fourth-quarter meltdown against the Celtics on Wednesday, plus the continued absence of Kevin Durant, Golden State’s grip on the No. 1 seed looks looser than ever, although Leonard’s concussion clearly complicates that endeavor for the Spurs.
