Kawhi officially out vs Pelicans (and likely Playoffs)

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Has he played final game as a Spur?

I'll start...

Yes. Peace be upon you Kawhi.

[SuperCam]

dabom gone at least tbh...

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:claw

[Arcadian]

Wow. He really missed the entire fucking season (save for a short stretch).

This is actually happening. Is this real life? He went from being the best player on earth poised to carry his team to a championship, to missing an entire season of basketball and possibly leaving the team. Unfuckingbelievable.

[spurraider21]

:lol he was never the best player on earth

[daslicer]

Wow. He really missed the entire fucking season (save for a short stretch).

This is actually happening. Is this real life? He went from being the best player on earth poised to carry his team to a championship, to missing an entire season of basketball and possibly leaving the team. Unfuckingbelievable.

Amazing how is uncle brainwashed him. Someone should make a psychological movie based off of this season on Kawhi and his uncle.

[Arcadian]

:lol he was never the best player on earth

Who was better last year? Westbrook was a statpadder on a fringe playoff team, Harden was a defensive liability, Durant was playing a reduced role on his new team, and Lebron arguably wasn't as good as he is this season (and 7 years older than Kawhi).

It's okay if you disagree, but I won't let you ":lol" your way out of this one as if the claim is preposterous.

[Killakobe81]

Who was better last year? Westbrook was a statpadder on a fringe playoff team, Harden was a defensive liability, Durant was playing a reduced role on his new team, and Lebron arguably wasn't as good as he is this season (and 7 years older than Kawhi).

It's okay if you disagree, but I won't let you ":lol" your way out of this one as if the claim is preposterous.

even last year Bron was better ...
Durant was debatable
Russ and Harden less so but still in convo

[Death In June]

Still not back from New York and no updates from him. What a dickhead

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Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic if he goes out that way.

I'm guessing Pop ships his ass out. So un-Spurs like to do what has done this year. Pop doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that likes his players having "groups" that dictate when his players play. And I'm guessing he won't be cool paying someone $19MM for 210 minutes of game time this year. 9 games. Or exactly 7 games of only 30 minutes per. When the team doctors cleared him.

Or $904,761.90 per minute of gametime. That's a goooooood gig if you can get it.

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Haha. I just can't get over how we first heard about this being an issue that might keep him out of most of the pre-season...then a few games...then...?!? The fuck?

[Slippy]

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic if he goes out that way.

I'm guessing Pop ships his ass out. So un-Spurs like to do what has done this year. Pop doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that likes his players having "groups" that dictate when his players play. And I'm guessing he won't be cool paying someone $19MM for 210 minutes of game time this year. 9 games. Or exactly 7 games of only 30 minutes per. When the team doctors cleared him.

Or $904,761.90 per minute of gametime. That's a goooooood gig if you can get it.

Exactly. Alot of issues & precedents for Pop, teammates & FO to gloss over as if it never occurred. Dont see it happening.

[Arcadian]

even last year Bron was better ...
Durant was debatable
Russ and Harden less so but still in convo

Lebron is the only possible choice IMO, but since we're comparing a late-prime Lebron to an early-prime Kawhi, I give the edge to the younger player.

Kawhi was unequivocally the superior defensive player to Lebron at this stage of their careers, and Kawhi also elevated to an elite offensive player last year as well. He also came up large in big games against other star players, arguably outperforming them all head-to-head.

I'm not saying Kawhi is the obvious choice, but I'm defending the view as reasonable. Nobody should think it's ridiculous to rank Kawhi Leonard as the best player of 2016-17. He's as good a choice as any.

[Brazil]

That’s some breaking news right there.. 19M doin nothing.. I wish I had won genetic lottery too tbh

[SAGirl]

dabom (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=47543) gone at least tbh...
:cheer:cheer

[Brunodf]

Spurs going 0-3 vs the Lakers really will come back to haunt them , this was supposed to be an easy 3rd seed :bang

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Spurs going 0-3 vs the Lakers really will come back to haunt them , this was supposed to be an easy 3rd seed :bang

If you listen to Manu and a couple others, they played soft in a bunch of games thinking Kawhi's return was always just around the corner.

And even in his 9 games, they were subpar.

[rastaspur]

dabom gone at least tbh...

Dabom is like herpes. Doubt he ever goes away.

[r0drig0lac]

dabom gone at least tbh...

.....

[Chinook]

:lol he was never the best player on earth

There was that time Lebron & Co got on a spaceship to take on the Mon-Stars on their home turf.

[Ice009]

even last year Bron was better ...
Durant was debatable
Russ and Harden less so but still in convo

Did you watch Kawhi in the playoffs. Up until he got hurt, he was THE best player in the playoffs. Pop even called him (in his opinion) the best player on the planet. He said he was playing like the best player on the planet. Lebron and Durant both started playing better once Kawhi was already out of the playoffs, but up until then, Kawhi was playing better than anyone, and it looked like he was going to crank it up yet another notch in that Warriors series. It looked like he was going to start that series with 40+ points in game 1.

[TheGreatYacht]

:cheer:cheer
Hopefully you follow Fathead to China next year.

[spurs1990]

It's not what anybody wanted but judging by the posts on this thread the tide has turned considerably against Leonard.

[r0drig0lac]

even last year Bron was better ...
Durant was debatable
Russ and Harden less so but still in convo

Kawhi was the best player in the playoffs before the injury, there is no discussion about this, even Lebron was not playing at his level

[BD24]

Dabom is like herpes. Doubt he ever goes away.
This tbh

[Spurs9]

If hes not sitting with the team in the 1st round, he gone.

[YGWHI]

Amazing how is uncle brainwashed him. Someone should make a psychological movie based off of this season on Kawhi and his uncle.

Since you always talks about his uncle...Do you think the player we saw in those 9 games this season was the same player we watched in last season?

Do you think his injury didn't affect his game this season?

Do you really think he's not injured? Because if you believe it, I guess you can't explain why he didn't look well in his mid-season return.

[YGWHI]

Kawhi was the best player in the playoffs before the injury, there is no discussion about this, even Lebron was not playing at his level

"Lebron was on the Mon"... You should already know that there are people here that never gave Kawhi credit for his game.

[duncan2k5]

Since you always talks about his uncle...Do you think the player we saw in those 9 games this season was the same player we watched in last season?

Do you think his injury didn't affect his game this season?

Do you really think he's not injured? Because if you believe it, I guess you can't explain why he didn't look well in his mid-season return.

Voice of reason, tbh...

[San Antonio Slayer]

Since you always talks about his uncle...Do you think the player we saw in those 9 games this season was the same player we watched in last season?

Do you think his injury didn't affect his game this season?

Do you really think he's not injured? Because if you believe it, I guess you can't explain why he didn't look well in his mid-season return.

His stats per 36 mins looked nice. Steals and blocks were way better than last season. I'd say he was a little rusty in offense.

[SpursforSix]

But...but...

https://sneakerbardetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Air-Jordan-1-High-Pass-The-Torch-Kawhi-Leonard-AQ7476-016.jpg

[YGWHI]

Voice of reason, tbh...

I'd love to believe that Kawhi is that b* some guys here talk about...That would mean, he's not injured and will play at the MVP level he showed last two season again.

But I already know they're wrong. Team-doctors cleared him, he played 9 games and didn't look well. It's pretty obvious he was and is, injured.

[duncan2k5]

His stats per 36 mins looked nice. Steals and blocks were way better than last season. I'd say he was a little rusty in offense.

And how did he look after the game?

[YGWHI]

His stats per 36 mins looked nice. Steals and blocks were way better than last season. I'd say he was a little rusty in offense.

I thought the same in the first games. His three-point shooting was horrible, I wondered why...After all, he's not Curry but he's a good 3-p shooter.

I re-watched his previous games after our loss in Atlanta, and realized he was jumping weird. I wouldn't say he was clearly favoring one leg, but running, jumping didn't look right.

[polandprzem]

And how did he look after the game?

Same face win or lose

[polandprzem]

I thought the same the first games. His FG% 2P was great but his three-point shooting was horrible. I wondered why...After all, he's not Curry but he's a nice 3-p shooter.

I re-watched his previous games after our loss in Atlanta, and realized he was jumping weird. I wouldn't say he was clearly favoring one leg, but running, jumping didn't look right.
Full spring on the legs helps a lot shooting treys

[YGWHI]

Full spring on the legs helps a lot shooting treys
Healthy quads, too. We'll see in preseason.

[polandprzem]

Frickin mystery this offseason. What the Spurs gonna do with him when he is unable to play basketball.

[polandprzem]

Healthy quads, too. We'll see in preseason.

If he is gonna play in preseason

[YGWHI]

If he is gonna play in preseason
Don't break my heart...

Anyway, I'll stay positive.

[San Antonio Slayer]

And how did he look after the game?
Didn't pay attention. How?

[YGWHI]

Frickin mystery this offseason. What the Spurs gonna do with him when he is unable to play basketball.

The Spurs can only trade him in offseason.

What the doctors gonna do with him..? That's other story.

[polandprzem]

The Spurs can only trade him in offseason.

What the doctors gonna do with him..? That's other story.

That's the thing. How Spurs docs evaluate his condition which will be very important for RC and Pop to make a decision either to trade him keep him or extend with supermax.
And how about now with 2nd opinion docs.

And if kawhi needs surgery he should be doing it now or month ago. Why the wait?

[stu scotts eye]

Ya know. I've been pissed that he has chosen to not be on the bench during games. I know Tim, Kobe or Lebron level players would be there in the huddles coaching up the team.

So maybe, the players all got together and requested that Kawhi not be around if he's not coming back. Im sure that's the story thatll come out in the offseason.

But got dam it. Ive still been googling his name daily for the past 3 months hoping for an update..

[absoloot66]

Did you watch Kawhi in the playoffs. Up until he got hurt, he was THE best player in the playoffs. Pop even called him (in his opinion) the best player on the planet. He said he was playing like the best player on the planet. Lebron and Durant both started playing better once Kawhi was already out of the playoffs, but up until then, Kawhi was playing better than anyone, and it looked like he was going to crank it up yet another notch in that Warriors series. It looked like he was going to start that series with 40+ points in game 1.

Indeed. He was positively ascendant...Maybe he "got too hot...burned off his wings" (shout-out The God MC: Rakim Allah).

[cd98]

Very depressing he never came back. Houston is Houston and with Kawhi, we'd have taken a dump on them and we'd have a better record, I'd bet, during the regular season. And GSW, while still the favorite, are more weak than they were last year with injuries and potential boredom and several consecutive years of long playoff runs. But, alas, no Kawhi means no chance. I just hope we get a 4 or 5 seed so we have a shot at advancing for a round.

[superbigtime]

The injury is mysterious and frustrating for everyone. I don't begrudge him for being hurt. But his cloak of secrecy, the uncle thing, his inability or reluctance to speak about what is going on, and not being there for his teammates are what upset me the most. This drama just is so un-Spurs. We all know what an amazing player he is. You have to give Kawhi and the situation the benefit of the doubt and hope that it works out, but it just seems like the divide grows daily. Hope for the best, whether it is his return to the court as a Spur or a trade that works out for both parties.

[YGWHI]

Very depressing he never came back. Houston is Houston and with Kawhi, we'd have taken a dump on them and we'd have a better record, I'd bet, during the regular season. And GSW, while still the favorite, are more weak than they were last year with injuries and potential boredom and several consecutive years of long playoff runs. But, alas, no Kawhi means no chance. I just hope we get a 4 or 5 seed so we have a shot at advancing for a round.

I'm very optimistic about this year. Many playoffs teams look horrible and the young teams playing well won't be able to handle postseason pressure. The Spurs have a clear advantage over inexperienced squads.

[absoloot66]

I'm very optimistic about this year. Many playoffs teams look horrible and the young teams playing well won't be able to handle postseason pressure.

I'd like to remain optimistic, too, but this Spurs team hasn't handled regular season pressure.:depressed

[YGWHI]

I'd like to remain optimistic, too, but this Spurs team hasn't handled regular season pressure.:depressed

They have always been a different animal in playoffs. Believe.

[absoloot66]

"They" have either retired, or soon will. I have little confidence in what's left, this year.

[stu scotts eye]

If we can get the same from LMA, but also get 18-20 from Rudy with Dejounte giving us a consistent 15/8/8, we can give any team a run. Bc I believe that we can get "one off" standout performances from different role players (i.e. Manu/Mills/Green/Forbes,TP) each game.

[rjv]

another ST end of the world thread.

[daslicer]

Since you always talks about his uncle...Do you think the player we saw in those 9 games this season was the same player we watched in last season?

Do you think his injury didn't affect his game this season?

Do you really think he's not injured? Because if you believe it, I guess you can't explain why he didn't look well in his mid-season return.

He looked like a player typically does when they are playing during the pre-season. He looked rusty to me more so than anything else. In his last two games he looked like he was rounding into a form. I do believe he could play right now if he wanted to but him and his uncle chooses not to. Anyways don't waste my time your not going to convince me to your point of view. I'm going to believe what I believe until I'm proven wrong.

[SAGirl]

Ya know. I've been pissed that he has chosen to not be on the bench during games. I know Tim, Kobe or Lebron level players would be there in the huddles coaching up the team.

So maybe, the players all got together and requested that Kawhi not be around if he's not coming back. Im sure that's the story thatll come out in the offseason.

But got dam it. Ive still been googling his name daily for the past 3 months hoping for an update..
Now way is that true.

The lengths some will go to make excuses for him. If you want to know what I think? He doesn't trust the Spurs medical staff, the trainers and rehab people so he's training at the NBPA with his own trainer/rehab specialist in NYC. That is the rational and sensible explanation. Could be travel back and forth for one game that's critical for the team? Sure but it's an inconvenience, dealing with the media is an annoyance and in his recluse mind he doesn't see the point of that since he's not going to be able to play. He's can always text Danny and whoever else he considers a friend in the team and congratulate them. That is the same right? Only in his mind.

[objective]

Kawhi looked rusty coming back but was escalating quickly.

For comparison, this is by far Aldridge's best season by PER, over 25, previous high of 22.

And he still trails Kawhi's 26 PER.

Kawhi was the best player and has allegedly spent the months since rehabbing making progress, however incremental.

He could play now. And still be the best Spur. But he won't even sit with the team and try to help the team.

[Phenomanul]

I still remain optimistic...

[stu scotts eye]

Now way is that true.

The lengths some will go to make excuses for him. If you want to know what I think? He doesn't trust the Spurs medical staff, the trainers and rehab people so he's training at the NBPA with his own trainer/rehab specialist in NYC. That is the rational and sensible explanation. Could be travel back and forth for one game that's critical for the team? Sure but it's an inconvenience, dealing with the media is an annoyance and in his recluse mind he doesn't see the point of that since he's not going to be able to play. He's can always text Danny and whoever else he considers a friend in the team and congratulate them. That is the same right? Only in his mind.

Chill out woman. No one's making excuses for him.

Unless you believe he is still working hard to come back for the playoffs, he doesnt need to be in NY doing rehab right now.

Recluse or not. If this is his team and wants to be a good teammate, he should be here for all the practices, games, and shootarounds sharing hia corporate knowledge anf mentoring.

Maybe if he did that all the media BS wouldnt be so bad. I can definitely imagine that some players there know he's not coming back this yr or next. And its not outrageous to think that the vets or Pop drew the line weeks ago, and told Kawhi its best for him to rehab in NY and let the team focus on who will be there.

[wingster]

Nah, we'll see him in the silver and black next season.

[SAGirl]

Chill out woman. No one's making excuses for him.

Unless you believe he is still working hard to come back for the playoffs, he doesnt need to be in NY doing rehab right now.

Recluse or not. If this is his team and wants to be a good teammate, he should be here for all the practices, games, and shootarounds sharing hia corporate knowledge anf mentoring.

Maybe if he did that all the media BS wouldnt be so bad. I can definitely imagine that some players there know he's not coming back this yr or next. And its not outrageous to think that the vets or Pop drew the line weeks ago, and told Kawhi its best for him to rehab in NY and let the team focus on who will be there.
i just don't believe anyone asked him to stay out. If anything Pop has asked him to be involved with the team and Kiwi has had excuses... baby girl sick, leg hurts, got to see my specialist in NYC etc.