Kawhi Leonard is likely out for the season with a quadriceps injury. In what has been a bizarre tale from the start, this saga has left NBA fans reeling. This injury to a superstar changes the playoff landscape in the West. Do any teams benefit from the Kawhi Leonard injury, and (other than the Spurs) is there anyone hurt by it?
Teams That Benefit
Golden State Warriors:
The Warriors are nearly invincible in the playoffs, and nobody has shown any ability to stop them so far. The Spurs, for two-and-a-half quarters in last year’s Western Conference Finals did that. Before Kawhi was taken out by Zaza Pachulia, the Spurs looked dominant against the reigning champions. From that moment, Golden State never looked back on their way to a sweep. The one team that threatened the Warriors in last year’s playoffs has now lost what made them dangerous. This is a pretty big boost for the Warriors.
Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves:
These two teams are both extremely talented but are languishing near the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture. Neither squad wants a fully-rested Warriors in round two, and stealing the Spurs’ three seed would at least afford them a likely second-round date with the West’s second juggernaut in Houston. Only one of these teams can get that coveted three seed, but at least there’s now a window opened for them.
Teams That Are Hurt
Houston Rockets:
The Rockets want a talent-packed Western Conference playoffs. A tired/injured Warriors squad is the only chance Houston has of beating them in a seven-game series. Every round needs to be tough for Golden State. An Oklahoma City-Golden State second-round series would be absolute perfection for Houston, as I detailed in an earlier article. Now, the three seed will likely be up for grabs, and Houston doesn’t want to see Oklahoma City, because it means they won’t be playing the Warriors. The Timberwolves will likely collapse from pure exhaustion thanks to Tom Thibodeau, so at least the Rockets can hope for Minnesota to snag the third seed before succumbing to fatigue.
Cleveland Cavaliers:
The new-look Cavs are doing well so far, but their lack of star power concerns me. With Kevin Love defended by Draymond Green and LeBron defended by Kevin Durant, their top two shot creators are in for a hell of a struggle. They really, really need some kind of malaise to inflict Golden State and Houston. A Gregg Popovich-coached team with Kawhi Leonard could be just the formula. If the Spurs had crawled out of the West with wins over Golden State and Houston, the Cavs would actually have a fighting chance. As much as this was a pipe dream before, it certainly is now, and for that reason alone the Cavs are slightly hurt by Kawhi’s injury.
What do you think? Did the Spurs even have a chance to escape the death trap we call the Western Conference without the Kawhi Leonard Injury? Give me a shout @PerSourcesSam!