Popovich was jokingly asked whether he has an unwritten rule that the Spurs are not allowed to score 30 points individually. The Spurs' coach has pulled his players early in the fourth quarter on numerous occasions this season, particularly Leonard. "That's 'cause I'm a jerk," Popovich said dryly. "I don't want anybody getting a big head, so we just pull them out. 'What do you need to get 30 for?' Selfish! (It was) just one game, boys and girls, just one game."
Leonard leads the Spurs in scoring at 16.5. 16.5! Last season, Parker led them at 16.7. In fact, in the past 10 years, only TWICE they had a guy averaging more than 20 points. Yet, they never won fewer than 50 games in that time span, even including the lockout season.
Leonard is rapidly becoming the next Paul George... aka OVERRATED. He's an A+ roleplayer but a grade D if you expect him to carry your offense as a superstar. Really good player? Yes. Top 10 player? Don't make me laugh.
Have you watched him play the past few games? I agree that he probably wouldn't be the same player on a different team. But I think in the context of the Spurs he can carry them offensively and he has been.
I simply don't agree he carries their offense... because I don't think any one player carries their offense. It's truly a team effort on the Spurs. I just don't buy him as a guy who commands double teams every possession. He's not that kind of shot creator, he's more of a flow of the offense/running the break kind of scorer.
So here's a follow up question. Should a great systems offensive player be considered as less valuable than a great non-system offensive player? For instance, comparing a guy like Nash/Stockton to Westbrook or Leonard to Kawhi. I think the answer varies but is usually no. Furthermore, I think successful NBA teams have shown increasingly more success utilizing team oriented defense and offense instead of superstar strategies as time goes on. In other words, who cares if he can't create offense the same way (let's say) Harden can. His offense is extremely efficient in the Spurs system and the Spurs system has been the most consistently effective, championship-winning strategy in the NBA for the last decade. You switch Harden to the Rockets, and their offense might actually be worse. His value is constantly underrated just because he doesn't walk and talk like a typical superstar.
His probably the most valuable player along with Duncan 4 the spurs. Is he top 10 in the league? Definitely not wrong to have him in the conversation
Your top 10 player just missed 2 layups in a row. Go **** yourself you spurs fans on a rockets website. If you are rockets fans quit kissing the *** of our rival and get back on the rocketball side. I can't believe how many of you called me out after we lost. We lost and you were happy about it? **** that. Be a real fan or leave.
But I just haven't seen enough of him to think he could be "the man" on a good team. He great offensively, but not the type of player you need to build your entire defensive game plan around. Defensively he's elite, no arguing that. The Spurs are a unique situation, because they don't have a clear first option. They legit have 4 guys that can be the primary option depending on the game situation. If you put him on most teams and asked him to be the primary scorer, I don't think he could handle it with defenses focused on him. He's one hell of a player, and clearly due a huge payday. I tried compliling a top 10 list and could only find 8 that I would take ahead of him (assuming health). I might put him #9. 1.LeBron James 2.Kevin Durant 3.James Harden 4.Stephen Curry 5.Chris Paul 6.Anthony Davis 7.Russell Westbrook (if he played next to an NBA point guard, not as is) 8.DeMarcus Cousins
You know, its funny. The Spurs embody the notion that great team play is not simply the sum of individual parts. There's just so much preoccupation with MVPs and top ten lists; and none of that stuff seems to factor in at all with the Spurs.
Correct. To play for Pop, you have to leave selfishness at the door. Otherwise, you are toast. TD, TP & Manu bought into that concept and their talent along with Pop's brilliance resulted in multiple championships and a run of success that will likely never be repeated. TP said a few days ago he remembered when TD gave way to Manu, Manu gave way to him and he is now in the process of allowing Kawhi to take over as the first option on offense. It's a gradual process none of them have any problem with because it's all about the success as a team.
This. Many people consider Duncan to be the greatest PF of all time. But he has averaged more than 25 points only once in his career. And he has never averaged more than 20 points after the age of 28. 28 is usually the peak of an NBA player's career.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant has become a thought exercise that merits some serious consideration.</p>— RealGM (@RealGM) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealGM/status/591810992301969409">April 25, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Are you people crazy? Remove Kawhi from the Spurs and put him on any other team (possibly excepting the Hawks now) and he's an elite roleplayer/borderline allstar caliber player. He's not in league with guys like Lebron, KD, AD, Harden etc.
