Kawhi: Unique Player on Unique Team

[Windbush]

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/mar/06/kawhi-unique-player-unique-team/

Good article from San Diego about Kawhi. Talks about his living arrangements and personality.


“Our guys do a lot of intel,” Popovich says, “so we knew (Leonard) was good people, somebody who would fit in, somebody who would worry about the team more than himself. We already kind of felt he had gotten over himself.”

[TDMVPDPOY]

umm destroying a player who was first option on his college team to become 5-6th option on offense on the spurs...time to past the torch damn it

[manufan10]

umm destroying a player who was first option on his college team to become 5-6th option on offense on the spurs...time to past the torch damn it

Destroying? How is he being "destroyed?"

[SpurNation]

Destroying? How is he being "destroyed?"

Kinda what I was wondering.

[timvp]

Wow, awesome article. My favorite article of the season so far :tu

[manufan10]

Wow, awesome article. My favorite article of the season so far :tu

Agreed. My favorite part was this:


One night, the house started to shake upstairs. “I hear all this rumbling and crashing around,” Robertson says. “It was like there was a game going on up there.”
There was. Castleberry and Leonard, NBA rookie, teammate of Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, member of the four-time champion San Antonio Spurs, were playing on a mini 6-foot hoop with a mini plastic basketball.
Says Robertson: “I said, ‘Kawhi, for real?’”


:lol

[5in10]

Has there ever been a more perfect fit? Lol at the couch gms that thought we should have got chris singleton over kawhi.

[SpurNation]

What more can you want from a talented, level headed, blue collar, no non-sense person.

For the Spurs AND Kawhi...there probably was no better team for him to land with. Each being the epitome of the others solid foundations.

A grateful thanks for posting this article.

[silverblackfan]

Great article! Love seeing stories about the character players the Spurs continue to find. Sounds like his work ethic is similar to George Hill's, which it a true bonus.

[SpursNextRomanEmpire]

umm destroying a player who was first option on his college team to become 5-6th option on offense on the spurs...time to past the torch damn it

What the fuck are you talkin about?

[Sense]

umm destroying a player who was first option on his college team to become 5-6th option on offense on the spurs...time to past the torch damn it

You don't seem to know how this whole College to Pro transition works.. There are a lot of first option college players out there that weren't drafted.

[ElNono]

I just hope he makes the playoff rotation. Not a certainty right now.

[Old School 44]

Nice article. The only thing that worries me is RJ mentoring him.

I wonder what his line was in the upstairs, plastic ball, six foot hoop pick-up game. :lol

Although the focus has been on defense, I hope Pop realizes this guy can also eventually be an offensive force for this team. Not saying he will reach Bowen's level of defense, but to limit him to this standard will be doing him and the team a disservice.

I really believe Kawhi can average 18+ points. As Sean Elliott put it, there's a "lot of junk" in his game.

[5in10]

Completely agree, just look at his past 3 games and how he gets to the line. 13 points on 5 shots last game WOW...I also like his court vision for a small forward and wouldn't mind seeing him get a few chances at pic n roll, can't be any worse than DG. Also would like to see him post up when there's a guard on him.

[ginobilized]

Bowen has said it....Kawhi is a much more developed player than himself at that age....his defensive ceiling is ridonculous and he will have higher offensive averages than Bruce's career highs by next season. The Spurs really scored with this pick.

Great article!

[Leetonidas]

“The Spurs are all about defense,” says San Antonio veteran forward Richard Jefferson, who worked out with Leonard in San Diego over the summer and has become something of a mentor to him. “Most guys in this league want to prove that they can score, want to prove that they can shoot, want to prove that they are a starter.

Notice this faggot says "the Spurs" and not "we." RJ mentoring Leonard is somewhat troubling but perhaps Kawhi is smart enough to know that RJ sucks ass and is doing the exact opposite of what he's been mentored on :lol

[will_spurs]

I just hope he makes the playoff rotation. Not a certainty right now.

Really? I can't think of a reason why he wouldn't make it.

[Spursfanfromafar]

The article was great, except one part.... where Jefferson is said to mentor him.. Please! Let that not be the case and it be a case of Leonard being nice to the underwhelming veteran.

[ElNono]

Really? I can't think of a reason why he wouldn't make it.

I can. I think it's gonna come down to him or Green.

[VBM]

Really? I can't think of a reason why he wouldn't make it.

Lol George Hill. Lol Tiago Splitter.

In all seriousness though, Pop has to give him some burn. He's already the team's best perimeter defender.

[DesignatedT]

Good read.

[will_spurs]

Lol George Hill. Lol Tiago Splitter.

Hill made the playoff roster in his rookie year, played 4 games out of 5 (80%) and averaged 19 mpg.

Splitter made the playoff roster in his rookie year, played 3 games out of 6 (50%) and averaged 17mpg.

There's a difference between making the playoff rotation and being a starter in each and every game with 30 minutes.

Furthermore, Kawhi has already started in more games than Hill and Splitter combined during their rookie years. He's also playing significantly more minutes than both of them.

[Bill_Brasky]

Idk that i've seen a rookie improve so much in-season as Kawhi has. His shot was bad to begin the year.....now he's starting to become a very good FT shooter and his 3pt % is up. He's also become a little more brave about handling the ball.

Best thing about him is that he doesn't miss at the rim.

Think about it though....if he's improving this much DURING the season, imagine how good he can be with a summer's worth of work....

[ElNono]

Hill made the playoff roster in his rookie year, played 4 games out of 5 (80%) and averaged 19 mpg.

Splitter made the playoff roster in his rookie year, played 3 games out of 6 (50%) and averaged 17mpg.

Neither were part of the playoff rotation when the series started.

Hill played garbage minutes until the last game. Splitter same until the 3rd or 4th game in the series.

[will_spurs]

Hill played garbage minutes until the last game. Splitter same until the 3rd or 4th game in the series.

Hill didn't play in the first game indeed, and played only 4 or 5 minutes in the 2nd game, that means he averaged 24 minutes or so over the last 3 games. That's not too bad for a rookie.

Splitter as we know didn't play in the first 3 games last year.

I still don't think they can be compared to Kawhi, who, again, has started in more games than Hill and Splitter combined, and is playing 50% more minutes than Hill did in his rookie season. I can see him getting 18 mpg in the playoffs (down from 23 mpg right now).

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Seems like the front office learned something after getting burnt with Batum.....
Stay ultra quiet, don't let other teams know who you are targeting.

[Keepin' it real]

For all the wanna-be GMs here, pay attention to Pop's quote:

"If you're going to get something good, you're going to have to give up something good."

So please, no more the "trade Bonner/Blair/Jefferson for (insert name of star player)" posts.

[ElNono]

Hill didn't play in the first game indeed, and played only 4 or 5 minutes in the 2nd game, that means he averaged 24 minutes or so over the last 3 games. That's not too bad for a rookie.

He was substantially better than the rotting corpse of Finley.
Pop himself declared before the series started something to the effect that "these playoffs are not for him".


I still don't think they can be compared to Kawhi, who, again, has started in more games than Hill and Splitter combined, and is playing 50% more minutes than Hill did in his rookie season. I can see him getting 18 mpg in the playoffs (down from 23 mpg right now).

That's what I'm hoping. But people were hoping the same with Hill.

[will_spurs]

He was substantially better than the rotting corpse of Finley.

Yes but the regular season already gave a hint that Finley would get the preference. He started in almost all the games (77) and averaged 28.8 mpg during the regular season, whereas Hill started very few games (7) and averaged only 16.5 mpg.

This season the distribution of minutes between RJ (24.3), Kawhi (23.1) and Green (23) is a lot more balanced (almost perfectly balanced actually) and Kawhi has already started 16 games (44% of games) while Manu was injured.

We also know that Kawhi is being groomed as the next Bowen and he is already getting the tough assignments, defending the opposing team's best player on a nightly basis.

Hill's and Kawhi's situations aren't comparable at all.

[silverblk mystix]

Nice article...apparently a nice kid.

The thing that sticks out to me more than anything...is Pop and how really savvy he can be.

Then I see some of his coaching moves and it makes me wanna tear my hair out....how can a brilliant mind....make such brilliant moves....

only to be followed by some baffling ones....

(Splitter/Blair/Bonner/Scola/Mahinmi....etc.)

Looking on the bright side....

maybe...just maybe...he hasn't quite gone senile yet.

[Old School 44]

^ +1 - Kawhi's already a lock for regular playoff rotation minutes.

[benefactor]

Wow...really good read. Seems like every news outlet except the home town one gets good information about the Spurs and their players.

[will_spurs]

Wow...really good read. Seems like every news outlet except the home town one gets good information about the Spurs and their players.

To be honest, this was from Kawhi's hometown. We might get better articles on NBA players born in SA.

[wildbill2u]

Maybe the best part of the article was the inside look at how the Spurs go about choosing and drafting a player they want.

I mean, how many teams would draft a player without the coach ever going to see him or talk to him or have anyone from the FO talk to him or his agent.

This was a monumental trade up in the draft to get Leonard while giving up a popular and proven young player--and doing it the way they did shows a great deal of trust and confidence between the Spurs coaches, owner, brain trust in the FO, and scouts.

My hat is off to CIA Pop and his operatives. :toast

[Mark in Austin]

“The Spurs are all about defense,” says San Antonio veteran forward Richard Jefferson, who worked out with Leonard in San Diego over the summer and has become something of a mentor to him.

:stirpot:

[DrSteffo]

Good to read, thanks. Hope he stays serious but gets some fun too.

[Spur|n|Austin]

Great read, thanks! I really like Kawhi, he seems to have a great head on his shoulders and is only focused on getting better. Excited to see how he devlops, I think he's here for the long haul.

[Nathan Explosion]

What I want to know is, what part of San Antonio do I have to be in to drive a few minutes and be surrounded by Texas countryside? San Antonio is over 460 square miles according to a link I found. I live in the I10/410 area and for complete countryside to appear I have to pass Boerne which is over 30 minutes away (I work in Boerne). Must be talking about south side.

[Two10Whitey]

Kawhi is probably my favorite Spurs player at this point. I'm looking forward to seeing his improvement in the future. We need this kid to be better than Bruce Bowen in a few years since we're gonna be without Timmy and Manu. And Kawhi, you're rich.. Give me the Malibu and go buy a Range Rover lol.

[Mal]

At draft day I was almost sure that Spurs want to trade up and pick Klay Thompson. But Spurs made they magic trick and land Leonard.

[Manufan909]

Yes but the regular season already gave a hint that Finley would get the preference. He started in almost all the games (77) and averaged 28.8 mpg during the regular season, whereas Hill started very few games (7) and averaged only 16.5 mpg.

This season the distribution of minutes between RJ (28.7), Kawhi (23.1) and Green (23) is a lot more balanced (almost perfectly balanced actually) and Kawhi has already started 16 games (44% of games) while Manu was injured.

We also know that Kawhi is being groomed as the next Bowen and he is already getting the tough assignments, defending the opposing team's best player on a nightly basis.

Hill's and Kawhi's situations aren't comparable at all.
fify

[ElNono]

Good read

[will_spurs]

fify

Oops. Not sure where I saw that 24.3 figure. Anyway it's still in the same ballpark, which was my point.

[Manufan909]

Oops. Not sure where I saw that 24.3 figure. Anyway it's still in the same ballpark, which was my point.

Maybe, but you also have to take into consideration that Leonard's minutes are inflated cuz of Manu being out so long.

[~Sweetmelody~]

Thanks for the link! Very interesting; really enjoyed reading it.

[urunobili]

Loved the article but RJ as the mentor? you kiddin' me? that's why he didnt get amnestied from what it looks like :pctoss

[loveforthegame]

Wonderful article. :tu

Hard not to root for him and be a fan of his.

[TDMVPDPOY]

theres an article on realgm about him

spurs were interested him from get go, not doing workouts fearing the other teams knew what the spurs were targeting in the draft...

[Windbush]

Given all the pre-draft secrecy, the ironic thing is had we known only his personality, and not necessarily his penchant for defense, how could we think that the Spurs were not going to draft him?

[Manu-of-steel]

Kawhi with a nice game against the knicks today. Kawhi is slowly but surely improving every single day.

[timtonymanu]

Great article.

Love having Kawhi. It's refreshing to see a player on the team that actually gives a shit about defense and shows it.

[timvp]

theres an article on realgm about him

spurs were interested him from get go, not doing workouts fearing the other teams knew what the spurs were targeting in the draft...

If you took the time to read the article before your first post in this thread where you made a random nonsensical comment, you'd realize RealGM is just using a snippet of this article.

[Aztecfan03]

This part reminds me of those Mcnabb Chunky soup commercials.

' “We’re good,” says Kim Robertson, his mother. “We get along great. I make sure he’s eating right, eating healthy, because I know if I wasn’t there, he’d be eating out all the time. I worry about all the outside things so he doesn’t have to deal with anything but basketball. I tell him, ‘Just play basketball.’” '

[Chase_the_Bass]

“This is not the real NBA,” Jefferson says. “Trust me, I’ve been around a few places, know a lot of guys, and this is not the real NBA. The Spurs do a great job, probably as well as any team in the league, at bringing in the right type of people because not everybody can mentally handle it, not everybody can put enough of themselves down to say, ‘Hey, it’s what’s best for the team.’”

My favorite part.

[Fireball]

To be able to see Kawhi improve over the next seasons is exciting enough to watch the Spurs even if the Big 3 are no more ... hopefully his ceiling is very high!

[Spurs Brazil]

great read

[Tyrone Jenkins]

VERY good read.

As an AAU coach, we're starting practices now and i'll be sure to share it w/ my players...

[TDMVPDPOY]

usually guys with big hands equate to big.... :D