Heading into the 2011 NBA Draft, small forward Kawhi Leonard was a bit of a sleeper prospect. After being as named Mr. Basketball for the State of California in 2009, Leonard attended San Diego State University. In Leonard’s two years at San Diego State, he was a two-time, First-team, All-Mountain West Conference player and he helped the school reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time in school history in 2011. Leonard would leave San Diego State after his sophomore year in 2011 and he would be the 15th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Indiania Pacers. The Pacers would immediately trade Leonard to the San Antonio Spurs in what is rapidly becoming one of the biggest trade robberies in NBA history.
Leonard is now in his fifth season with the Spurs and in each year his play has improved. So far this NBA season, Leonard is averaging 21 points and he is on a talented Spurs team that is once again in contention for an NBA Championship. Also in the process of what Leonard is doing, he is becoming the new face of the Spurs franchise in San Antonio.
The moment that Leonard began to become a household name was during the 2014 NBA Finals. After missing pair of free throws late in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals that would have given the Spurs the championship, Leonard was at the center of a team that stormed back in 2014. In the 2014 NBA Finals, Leonard averaged 17.8 points on 61% shooting and on the defensive end of the floor, his length gave then Miami Heat small forward LeBron James problems. The Spurs would defeat the Heat in five games and Leonard’s contributions would lead him to being named as the NBA Finals MVP. Last year, Leonard was named as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year as he led the league in steals with 2.3 per game. The Spurs saw enough of Leonard that this past summer they gave him a five-year, $90 million extension and this season he is living up to his end of the deal.
So far this NBA season, Leonard is leading the Spurs in points at 21 per game which is also a career-high for him including beginning the campaign by pouring in 32 points versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Leonard is also averaging 7.5 rebounds per contest along with 1.8 steals. Leonard’s ability as a two-way player should see him get plenty of consideration for the NBA All-Star Game in February which would be his first appearance in the contest and he’s also helping to keep the Spurs machine going.
Since 1999, the Spurs have won five NBA Championships which is tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles over that stretch. The Spurs core over this era has been power forward Tim Duncan, point guard Tony Parker, and shooting guard Manu Ginobili. But with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili all in their mid-to-late 30’s, the Spurs are building towards the future while also maintaining their status as title contenders which is helped by Leonard’s emergence. And it’s scary good for the Spurs while being frightening for the rest of the NBA that Leonard is only 24-years of age and he will only get better on both ends of the floor.
At 6’7″, Leonard can slash to the basket while he is turning into a solid perimeter shooter as he is knocking down 50% percent of his three-point shots this season. And Leonard’s length and defensive skills are needed in the Western Conference due to the fact that the Spurs have to clash with All-Star caliber wing players in Thunder small forward Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden, and Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry if they are to get back to the NBA Finals and win another championship which is their ultimate goal. On another team Leonard could average more points per game, but being that Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich believes in utilizing all 12 players on the team along with sharing the basketball, you’re not going to see one player in San Antonio that averages 30 points per game.
But with players such as Duncan and Ginobili more than likely retiring soon, the Spurs are still in good hands with Leonard at the center of things.
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