Manu Ginobili Doesn't Believe Kawhi Leonard Will Return This Season

It sure sounds as if Manu Ginobili is fed up of fielding questions about the return of teammate Kawhi Leonard, not so much in what he's said, but in the manner in which he's said it. When asked about his teammate he very much alluded to his absence from the team due being felt on so many levels, much less the field of play. He alluded to Kawhi missing out on the camaraderie of the team. It seemed as though, Manu was making a case for off-court chemistry as a parameter for success. Read into it however you will, it's encouraging to hear a Spurs team embodying their ethos after so many years of practice. They've always been a team built upon interchanging elements. Manu made the following statement after practice:

"For me, he's not coming back because it's not helping (the distraction). We fell for it a week ago again. I guess you guys (the media) made us fall for it. But we have to think that he's not coming back, that we are who we are, and that we got to fight without him. That shouldn't be changing, at least until he is ready for the jungle."

No matter what he says publicly, Manu & the Spurs have a strong test ahead of them, if they hope to cling to the six spot. These last few months will go a long way in convincing Kawhi of his future with or without the organization that traded up for him in the '11 draft. 

[via ESPN]