San Antonio Spurs: Kawhi Leonard not ruled out for early November return

While far from a guarantee, the San Antonio Spurs could get Kawhi Leonard back in early November.

Kawhi Leonard has missed all four of the San Antonio Spurs’ games to start the 2017-18 season, with a quad injury. It was never revealed how he suffered it or when the ailment occurred, but it became serious, enough to keep him out of the preseason and the beginning of the latest campaign.

As of this writing, no timetable stands for Leonard’s return. However, in speaking to Tom Orsborn of MySanAntonio.com, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich didn’t rule out his star player returning in early November.

Popovich said, “Sure, anything is possible,” to this potentially happening. He followed with not worrying about a timetable for any player returning:

“But I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about when somebody is going to come back. Because they are going to come back when they are ready, when the docs say they are ready. So when that happens, that happens.”

That may be true but for a player like Leonard, it’s difficult not to wonder when a player of his caliber will return. Especially as the team’s best player and a potential MVP candidate for the 2017-18 season, something that’s lessening with every game he misses.

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Also, a potential return in early November would be perfect timing, if it’s on the second day of the month. That’s when the Spurs face the Golden State Warriors, a rematch of the one-sided 2017 Western Conference Finals.

Given the Spurs’ 4-0 start, maybe Popovich doesn’t have to worry, as he alluded to in the comment. The team looked sharp with LaMarcus Aldridge as the focal point of the offense, something that wasn’t said in the Western Conference Finals, when Leonard injured his ankle and missed the series.

Once the 26-year-old star returns, the offensive dynamic between him and Aldridge will be interesting to follow. Will the latter man remain aggressive in the post and from mid range?

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The Spurs next play on Friday, Oct. 27. With nothing new on Leonard’s official status, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him miss his fifth consecutive game.