Despite his San Antonio Spurs essentially being locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, Kawhi Leonard still thinks rest is a four-letter word.
According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News on Monday, Leonard has informed the Spurs’ coaching staff that he would like to play in the team’s final six games of the regular season.
“I told them I want to play out the games,” said the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year. “But we’ll see what happens.”
Leonard, who is enjoying the best statistical season of his career with 25.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, has appeared in 69 of San Antonio’s 76 games this season. But the Spurs are the original gangsters when it comes resting players, and McDonald adds that Leonard’s request is not likely to be granted with those final six games coming in a span of just nine nights, including a four-games-in-five-nights stretch. Nevertheless, with Leonard still theoretically in the MVP race and every game now appearing to matter, his position at least makes sense.
