Kawhi defending opposing PGs..

[HarlemHeat37]

Other teams employ this strategy vs. Parker with a fairly good success rate..

The Spurs have a long SF of their own..

Do you expect the Spurs to use Kawhi against opposing PGs for stretches?..they could potentially see Westbrook, Paul, Curry, Jack and Nash in the playoffs..

TP usually defends most of these guys with a nice success rate, I'm not stating otherwise, btw..

[ElNono]

Pop used to do it with Bowen... not sure why he's not doing it with Kawhi yet

[chapnis]

Green did it v Paul last year in the WCSF IIRC.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

Maybe, I don't know is Kawhi is up for it. He got destroyed when he tried to guard Jimmer in college.

[swaggerjackson]

I am not sure about this. I like Green better for picking up point guards. I think Kawhi is an excellent defender but Green has better foot speed. Also I think teams employ this defense against us because historically it has worked in stopping Parker. I am not sure the Nash, Curry, Paul, etc would be as disrupted as Tony is. Obviously it is something to think about, but I am not super excited about Kawhi chasing point guards. I like him denying the ball and free to jump passing lanes. He seems fantastic as those two aspects of defense. Is on ball defense is good but it is not as fearsome as Bowen's yet.

[Strategic]

If Leonard guards the PG then choir boy Danny Green would have to guard a small forward.

[HarlemHeat37]

I wouldn't doing for an entire game, just for stretches..most teams that employ this strategy will use it in critical stretches, such as clutch time or when an opposing player is getting hot..

While I agree that Green is a good defender against PGs, Chris Paul was clearly hobbled during last year's series, tbh..

[Chinook]

Leonard doesn't guard points much because he isn't as good of a man defender as people like to think. He's great against size, but he struggles against quickness. He'll definitely get better with time, but right now, he's probably the fourth-best point defender on the team.

[HarlemHeat37]

I've been saying Kawhi is an overrated defender for 2 years, but he still has the length and size to bother most, if not all PGs in the NBA IMO..

[racm]

Leonard doesn't guard points much because he isn't as good of a man defender as people like to think. He's great against size, but he struggles against quickness. He'll definitely get better with time, but right now, he's probably the fourth-best point defender on the team.

Agreed... it's KL's effect on TEAM defense which is more apparent (hence the steals), but his man defense needs more work (hence his surprisingly high opposing PER).

I'd rather have Tony defend opposing PGs most of the game.

[Chinook]

I've been saying Kawhi is an overrated defender for 2 years, but he still has the length and size to bother most, if not all PGs in the NBA IMO..

Indeed. He wouldn't be bad against points like Irving where the whole defense is committed to help him. But it's hard to see him guarding other points on anything but final possessions. If I recall correctly, he was on Paul for a final possession in one of the Clippers games last season. Typically, I don't think length is as effective as quickness.

[Chinook]

I thought Green did a good job on Lillard in the last gasp effort tonight. Damien was just hitting everything. Perhaps Leonard could have made a difference, but it seems like it just wasn't the Spurs' night.

[racm]

I thought Green did a good job on Lillard in the last gasp effort tonight. Damien was just hitting everything. Perhaps Leonard could have made a difference, but it seems like it just wasn't the Spurs' night.

Yeah, I liked what I saw in the Green/Leonard/Jackson perimeter tandem. The only problem was that group can't create in the halfcourt.

[Chinook]

Yeah, I liked what I saw in the Green/Leonard/Jackson perimeter tandem. The only problem was that group can't create in the halfcourt.

You'll probably see it a lot Monday. I imagine Green will be the designated Westbrook defender if Joseph struggles. I don't want to see Mills try to defend another top point this season.

[Brunodf]

CoJo was good, should've played more minutes