San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Wednesday that he'd be "surprised" if Kawhi Leonard returns at any point this season.
Leonard missed the first 27 regular-season games and has played only nine. Last month, the Spurs sent him back to San Antonio to continue his rehabilitation process. Leonard has told the Spurs at different stages of the process that he wasn't comfortable with his ability to play through the injury and that the Spurs shut him down.
The 15th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Leonard has developed into one of the most dominant players in the league, becoming a two-time first-team All-NBA player, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the 2014 NBA Finals MVP in the Spurs' victory over the Miami Heat.