Atrocious Kawhi update is a double-edged sword with catastrophic potential

Before you ask the question, no, it's not Groundhog Day. Kawhi Leonard has indeed injured his nagging knee once again and will miss the opening of the season. ESPN Insider Shams Charania is reporting Leonard will be out for an indefinite amount of time. The season hasn't even begun, but there has already been a major injury.

I don't know what the exact numbers are, but it feels like stars get injured now more than ever despite the advanced training methods, medicine, etc. Though for Kawhi, Spurs fans know that his situation is more nuanced than most. There's no need to rehash the history there, but this news isn't surprising in the least.

While the Klaw's latest rehabilitation report is unfortunate for the two-time Finals MVP, the potential ramifications of his injury are what fans should be worried about.

OKC acquiring a lottery pick would be a worst-case scenario

Let's be clear here: this is a stacked class, so Cooper Flagg won't be the only prize in the 2025 draft. It's why the Spurs have been lauded for their acquisition of a potential four first-rounders. If we're being frank, if OKC were to land Cooper Flagg, that would be more of a doomsday scenario, but even without Kawhi, the Clippers are not the worst team in the league.

Ideally, the Pistons or someone else in the Eastern Conference earns the right to draft Flagg. Keep as much talent out of the West as possible—we have enough. But again, if the Thunder were to land a lottery pick of any kind, it wouldn't be ideal for the Spurs. Their rival would likely draft another surefire hooper to add to an already stacked roster.

But there may be another impact caused by the very unfortunate circumstance of a superstar's extended time on the sidelines due to injury that the Silver and Black can take advantage of.

The Spurs playoff chances have just increased

The Western Conference is shaping up to be deep once again, but if Leonard misses too much time, it may open the door that much wider for San Antonio to slide into a playoff spot. As always, the talent on their side of the fence is plentiful, but it's spread out. There are no super teams, which means more parity—anyone can beat anyone on any given night.

The Spurs have to take advantage of the field. You can win games solely based on relentless effort, but this roster also has the talent to back up their drive.

It's hard to imagine the Clippers finishing the season in one of the top six spots in the conference. They aren't the only team that will take a step back as San Antonio steps up. But if it's more of a leap forward, you may be able to look back at this injury as one of several significant factors in the Spurs' most successful season in years.