Be proud of the Spurs, my friends. As hopeless situations go, their Western Conference Finals series against the Warriors was akin to the Battle of the Alamo. There was simply no real possibility of overcoming this All-Star team masquerading as an NBA franchise. How much the presence of Kawhi Leonard might have mattered is a debate to be had, but I’m not interested in it. I’m sure Pop will ultimately use the experience to better his team, to provide motivation, and to teach.
Just as the injury to Tony Parker bought Dejounte Murray valuable playoff experience, the injury to Kawhi allowed Jonathon Simmons, Kyle Anderson, and Davis Bertans to contribute in a place and time where they might otherwise have sat passively from the Spurs bench.