It is no secret that San Antonio Spurs is still one of the elite team in the NBA. However, there are a few teams who think that the men in silver and grey don't have what it takes to compete on the grandest stage of them all.
Spurs no longer elite?
The last time the Spurs raised a banner at the AT&T Center was 2014. There are a lot of basketball analysts that think the mighty Spurs should change their system to adjust to the way the game is played today. But, in true San Antonio fashion, they stick to their system and let their numbers speak for itself.
On the same note, they were able to establish the new face of the franchise which is Kawhi Leonard.
The face of the franchise
The silent assassin from California is a lot like Tim Duncan. They are both extremely talented and do their work quietly. Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James are highly regarded as the best two-way players in the game today. From a defensive first mentality player to a total package, The Klaw redefined his game which helped him to create his name. He is also the most versatile player on their roster who is being feared by a lot of players including superstars such as Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and LBJ.
The Klaw out
The only thing that can stop Kawhi is injury, which indeed happened last year during the playoffs.
The Spurs were beating the Golden State Warriors until Zaza Pachulia happened. At first, it looked like it was unintentional but by examining the video, it appears Zaza knew what he was doing. Kawhi suffered a quad injury which forced him to miss the entire playoffs and numerous games this season.
He eventually returned averaging 16 points a game.
The only problem is, the front office is not that comfortable with his recovery, thus shutting him down indefinitely. ESPN’s “The Jump” host Tracy McGrady, who is a hall of famer stated that Kawhi might be suffering a severe injury. This was also being backed up by a few sports analysts. The majority of them are concerned what might be the real issue with Kawhi.
For now, the only thing the Spurs fans can do is hope the injury is not that serious. As for the Spurs, maybe this is the perfect time for others to step up. Not only are they missing Kawhi Leonard but they are also missing Kawhi’s backup which is Rudy Gay also due to an injury. As for the other teams who still think that Spurs are the team of yesterday, they'd better watch out because Coach Pop knows better. Their team standing is not that good right now compared to the previous season but they are still capable of winning it all.
