DALLAS -- San Antonio Spurs star forward Kawhi Leonard was in the starting lineup Tuesday for his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks.
Leonard had missed all 27 of the team's games this season with right quadriceps tendinopathy and hadn't played a game for San Antonio since Game 1 of last season's Western Conference finals.
San Antonio plans to handle Leonard's debut similarly to how it brought back Tony Parker, who was returning from a ruptured quadriceps tendon when he rejoined the lineup on Nov. 27 against Dallas. In that outing, Parker played just 14 minutes, but the Spurs have gradually increased his workload.