Heading to the NBA playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs decided to sit all-star forward Kawhi Leonard in today's clash of the top teams in the Western Conference against the Golden State Warriors in concussion protocol based on the reports from USA Today. They didn't knew their forward will also deal with a serious ailment.
Reports from the NBA said that LaMarcus Aldridge will be out indefinitely due to Heart Arrhythmia, a minor heart ailment that is characterized by irregular heartbeat. There is also no timetable set for the return of their 6-foot-11 forward according to the team.
The University of Texas standout also had his issues with his heart as he was also diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers in 2007. according to American Heart Association, WPW syndrome causes a person to experience very fast heart rates and Aldridge missed the remainder of the season as he recovers from his sensitive ailment.
Already in his 10th season in the league and his 2nd with the Spurs, he is currently ranked behind Leonard in team's scoring average with 17.3 points per game and in the rebounding department with 7.4 boards per game next to Pau Gasol by a hairline based on ESPN stats. His absence could mean extended minutes to Dewayne Dedmon and veteran David Lee to help Pau Gasol in the frontcourt.
The injury is just an addition to the team's misery as they are approaching the post-season. Spurs' site enlisted DeJounte Murray and Tony Parker to be out for today's game. Murray will be out with left groin tightness while Parker is sidelined with back stiffness.
The match-up looks to be a more manageable for Gregg Popovich's squad as the Warriors decided to give their top four players a rest. NBA confirmed that GSW coach Steve Kerr will sit out his all-stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala due to the minutes that they have played and with the schedule that they are facing and keep them fresh come playoff time.
Both teams are assured of a play-off spot but the battle for the top spot is still a tight one. The Spurs, who is just 1.5 games back beneath GSW, is coming off a 102-92 loss against the Thunder where Leonard had an early exit was after being hit by a driving Victor Oladipo's elbow to the head, after winning 9 straight games. The Western Conference leaders Warriors, on the other hand, have lost 4 of their last 6 games since Kevin Durant's injury.
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