Balls-Eye: Would Spurs Slide Without Kawhi?

Let us reminisce the tragic injury moment of Kawhi Leonard during their series against the Golden State Warriors.

Without Kawhi, the Spurs rally way back that season ended in the hands of the defending champs.

How about this season?

The Spurs team announced Kawhi's absence as indefinite. An extremely disastrous scenario for the Spurs as they would be severely downgraded on the fiery battle for the top spot. They are currently hanging on the top three and is going head to head against the Rockets and the Dubs.

Kawhi's absence may affect the Spurs games both directly and indirectly. Of course, damage infliction is for certain once the ace has fallen. Directly in a sense that they have lost temporarily but lengthy a major scorer and offensive runner. Indirectly in a way that the whole team would probably be in despair as they would be reminded of their fall on the western finals against Warriors.

Nevertheless, regular season games are quite different as compared to playoff games particularly pressure and materiality of the game.

What they may be at risk right now is their chance of climbing up to the uppermost position in the western conference.

Yet unlike that season, it isn't the end for Spurs. Not even close to the end of their season.

Their next opponent would be another team from the other end which is also trying to get to the top. The Toronto Raptors. It would be a great test of their readiness to fight without Kawhi once again.

This match would make us predetermine Spurs' future performances without Kawhi if ever his absence would be extended or he'd be gone again at some point in time.