Gregg Popovich didn’t mention Kawhi Leonard in his postgame press conference after the Spurs’ 116-101 loss to the Warriors, but it seemed as though he may have had the missing-in-action star on his mind. The five-time NBA champion coach made it a point to not just praise LaMarcus Aldridge for his efforts this season, but also point out all the ways he’s come through for the team.
Did Gregg Popovich throw shade at Kawhi Leonard by praising LaMarcus Aldridge?
“He doesn’t complain about a darn thing out on the court. He just plays through everything.”
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
“LaMarcus has been a monster all year long,” Popovich told reporters Monday night. “He’s led our team on both ends of the floor. He doesn’t complain about a darn thing out on the court. He plays through everything. I can’t imagine being more proud of a player as far as playing through adversity and being there for his teammates night after night after night. He’s been fantastic.”
On the surface, those seem like pretty innocuous comments propping up a player who scored a game-high 34 points and has led the Spurs throughout a rocky 2017-18.
Once you view it through the lens of the ongoing Leonard-Spurs saga, however, Popovich’s words appear more pointed. While his response starts off as genuine, it’s easy to see the shade poking through as the San Antonio coach wears on.
“LaMarcus has been a monster all year long ... he doesn’t complain about a darn thing out on the court.”
Leonard has only played in nine games this season thanks to right quadriceps tendinopathy. The injury has pushed an unsteady timetable for his return onto the franchise, and it’s clear frustration has been building on both sides. Despite a continual string of bad news from Leonard’s doctors, the team refuses to concede he’s done for the year, instead listing him on the team’s injury report as questionable due to “return from injury management.”
“He plays through everything.”
Spurs’ officials have cleared Leonard to play, but Leonard’s doctors have advised him to travel to New York for more rehab. San Antonio staff is working with the all-star’s team to supervise and support that course, but its clear his lack of availability has caused a rift between the player, his coach, his teammates, and the fans. Scottie Pippen thinks he’s “lost his love for the game.”
“I can’t imagine being more proud of a player as far as playing through adversity and being there for his teammates night after night after night.”
Leonard isn’t just slated to miss the Spurs’ opening round series against the Warriors. Popovich doesn’t even know if he’ll show up to sit on the bench and support his team. When asked whether the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year would even attend the team’s playoff games this April, Pop responded “you’ll have to ask Kawhi and his group that question.”
“He’s been fantastic.”
This part probably isn’t passive criticism. Aldridge has been great in Leonard’s absence. His 23.1 points per game are the most he’s scored since coming to San Antonio as a free agent in 2015. He’s making 51 percent of his shots from the field and responsible for a team-high 10.9 win shares (seventh-best in the NBA) in his 12th season as a pro. Without Aldridge, the Spurs would have seen their playoff streak disappear.
So was Popovich subtweeting Leonard with his postgame praise of Aldridge?
... maybe. SB Nation’s Pounding the Rock doesn’t seem to think so:
Popovich has proven time and again he chooses his words carefully and stands behind what he says. He’s also not afraid to alienate people, and he’s already put Leonard on blast for his absence, so if he really wanted to chop down his star he could have done so directly.
Even so, Popovich purposefully pointed out all the ways Aldridge has excelled for his team where Leonard has not. There’s something to that, even if it’s just a little bit of frustration boiling to the surface from a coach suddenly in an 0-2 hole in the postseason.
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