SA Express News: How the Spurs Built Kawhi Leonard Into A Monster

[BatManu20]

Good read.


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[el contusione]

Can you please post links to part 1 and 2. Thanks

[Mr Bones]

This, from the article, sums up what I love about the Spurs:

Let Leonard’s agent, Brian Elfus, tell it.
“At the end of the day, the draft is about where you end up, what kind of situation you’re in,” Elfus said. “I’ve got a strange suspicion — no, I know for a fact — if Kawhi had ended up in a different place, he wouldn’t be nearly the player he is today.
“I think everybody counts their blessings every day he ended up in San Antonio.”

[HarlemHeat37]

Shout out to Apo and dabom for seeing it from day 1, tbh..

[DeRozan m8]

In all fairness to the Spurs...kawhis work ethic is the biggest thing here tbh
Spurs just tapped into it.

[BatManu20]

Can you please post links to part 1 and 2. Thanks


Parts 1 & 2.

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[8FOR!3]

Think about how freakin scary a lineup with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sounds. Granted, they might not have even taken Kawhi if it was their pick and he might not have become what he is today, but still. A great coaching staff plus incredible work ethic = a monster.

[SpursforSix]

In all fairness to the Spurs...kawhis work ethic is the biggest thing here tbh
Spurs just tapped into it.

Sure but not every team does that with a player. I'm sure there have been a few other players that had Leonard's potential but just ended up in the wrong situation. Had KL gone to somewhere like New York, I doubt that his offensive game ever gets developed to it's full potential.

But I agree, on the other side, not every player has the desire to put in the hard work. Or the willingness to learn a system and take a temporary back seat.

Perfect fit both ways.

[dabom]

Shout out to Apo and dabom for seeing it from day 1, tbh..

Thanks man. Crazy few years. We always got shit for it. Great to see Kawhi flourish out there.

Sucks that I was called a tony hater or something. Just so happened that Kawhi's ascension happened during tony's decline. Just really stating the facts for both players.

Great basketball minds as ourselves, including you, saw this long time ago. If even hater (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=7609) dropped the "role player" label, I think anyone still talking sht about Kawhi is a troll tbh.

[SpursforSix]

Thanks man. Crazy few years. We always got shit for it. Great to see Kawhi flourish out there.

Sucks that I was called a tony hater or something. Just so happened that Kawhi's ascension happened during tony's decline. Just really stating the facts for both players.

Great basketball minds as ourselves, including you, saw this long time ago. If even hater (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=7609) dropped the "role player" label, I think anyone still talking sht about Kawhi is a troll tbh.

IDK. Eventually, all those mid range 2 pointers will come back to haunt him. If you project it on out, he'll probably average about 30% shooting average over his career. Plus, he's not going to get any quicker. I'm surprised some aren't calling to go ahead and trade him while he still has value.

[sasaint]

Parts 1 & 2.

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666346711992807424

Very compelling read. Thanks a ton for the links!

[dabom]

IDK. Eventually, all those mid range 2 pointers will come back to haunt him. If you project it on out, he'll probably average about 30% shooting average over his career. Plus, he's not going to get any quicker. I'm surprised some aren't calling to go ahead and trade him while he still has value.

:lol

[FkLA]

Just got done with Part 1.

So while some guys were sneaking into the beds of teammates wives, Kawhi was sneaking into gyms to put in work. Probably explains why the former still has the same broke jumper he's always had and the latter developed a reliable jumper pretty quickly.

[dabom]

Just got done with Part 1.

So while some guys were sneaking into the beds of teammates wives, Kawhi was sneaking into gyms to put in work. Probably explains why the former still has the same broke jumper he's always had and the former developed a reliable jumper pretty quickly.

:lmao

[Keepin' it real]

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/57196077.jpg

[FkLA]

Kawhi: 'How do I be good?'

P:oinkrker: 'How do I get to the buffet?'

[Mel_13]

Companion pieces to the Kawhi articles.

Q&A with Chip Engelland:

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2015/11/16/the-kawhi-leonard-companion-a-chip-engelland-qa/

Q&A with Chad Forcier:

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2015/11/16/the-kawhi-leonard-companion-a-chad-forcier-qa/

[TheGreatYacht]

Matty Barnes disagrees

[loveforthegame]

What's not to love about Leonard? Keeps his head down, stays out of trouble, and does whatever to get better. It's been incredibly fun to watch his journey with the Spurs.

Still can't believe how lucky we are.

:tu

[apalisoc_9]

Kawhi: 'How do I be good?'

P:oinkrker: 'How do I get to the buffet?'

:lol

[Splits]

Shout out to Apo and dabom for seeing it from day 1, tbh..

So you know who dabom's troll is. Because his join date is August 2013, first post was July 2014, years after "day 1".

So who is it?

[dabom]

Splits with the bads per par. Lmao

[baseline bum]

Interesting that the Spurs were looking at drafting Jimmy Butler as a fallback option if they couldn't land Kawhi. Holy shit this front office.

[Lostwingman]

Matty Barnes disagrees

Yea, bet the Grizzlies 100% are behind that "Matty Barnes Effect".

[Kool Bob Love]

A monster who has eye infections, knee and respiratory problems at the young age of 24 years old? Yikes.

[Silver&Black]

A monster who has eye infections, knee and respiratory problems at the young age of 24 years old? Yikes.

And a Ring...
And a FMVP...
And a DPOY...
And might be the best two way player in the NBA...
And is the best player on a contending team...

Yikes.

[dabom]

And a Ring...
And a FMVP...
And a DPOY...
And might be the best two way player in the NBA...
And is the best player on a contending team...

Yikes.

Don't do him like that B.

[bic50]

And a Ring...
And a FMVP...
And a DPOY...
And might be the best two way player in the NBA...
And is the best player on a contending team...

Yikes.

[manu2timdynasty]

A monster who has eye infections, knee and respiratory problems at the young age of 24 years old? Yikes.

Having a Kanye profile pic doesn't make you black...posers.

[Ice009]

Interesting that the Spurs were looking at drafting Jimmy Butler as a fallback option if they couldn't land Kawhi. Holy shit this front office.

Yeah, that stuck out to me in part 2. If they didn't get Kawhi, it looks like they had a pretty good fallback option. They should have grabbed Butler anyway. I think he was still there, wasn't he?

[Kool Bob Love]

Having a Kanye profile pic doesn't make you black...posers.

What the fuck does that have to do with the thread? Go wash your face b, looking like a clown.

[manu2timdynasty]

What the fuck does that have to do with the thread? Go wash your face b, looking like a clown.

Troll getting trolled...Not too bright are you?

[ChumpDumper]

The krew shits up another Kawhi thread.

[spurraider21]

So you know who dabom's troll is. Because his join date is August 2013, first post was July 2014, years after "day 1".

So who is it?
:lol first post was after kawhi gets finals mvp

"i've been saying it for years"

:lmao...

[Arcadian]

To be fair, they didn't build a monster, he just is a monster...

[Kool Bob Love]

Troll getting trolled...Not too bright are you?

dont quote me anymore clown.

[manu2timdynasty]

dont quote me anymore clown.

Struck a nerve did I?

[spurraider21]

So you know who dabom's troll is. Because his join date is August 2013, first post was July 2014, years after "day 1".

So who is it?


:lol first post was after kawhi gets finals mvp

"i've been saying it for years"

:lmao...

[bic50]

Struck a nerve did I?

Keep quoting it. It's nothing but a little bitch. All it'll do is hiss at you.

[ducks]

Interesting that the Spurs were looking at drafting Jimmy Butler as a fallback option if they couldn't land Kawhi. Holy shit this front office.

Butler is a two way player

[SAGirl]

This, from the article, sums up what I love about the Spurs:

Let Leonard’s agent, Brian Elfus, tell it.
“At the end of the day, the draft is about where you end up, what kind of situation you’re in,” Elfus said. “I’ve got a strange suspicion — no, I know for a fact — if Kawhi had ended up in a different place, he wouldn’t be nearly the player he is today.
“I think everybody counts their blessings every day he ended up in San Antonio.”
:tu:tu:cheer

[100%duncan]

Just read all 3 parts now. What a nice string of articles being a big kawhitard I still discovered some new things from it. Thanks brah

[100%duncan]

Butler is a two way player

Yes which makes the front office really smart. Out of the many players their top 2 choices were kawhi and butler prolly the top 2 best players of that draft.

[r0drig0lac]

Having a Kanye profile pic doesn't make you black...posers.

hahahaha holy shit!

[jag]

Shout out to Apo and dabom for seeing it from day 1, tbh..

:lol

[Brazil]

Shout out to Apo and dabom for seeing it from day 1, tbh..


:lol first post was after kawhi gets finals mvp

"i've been saying it for years"

:lmao...

:lol tbh...

[dabom]

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1268220#start_here

Pistons forum in AUG 2013 debating Greg Monroe vs Kawhi.

I called Kawhi the 3rd best SF in the league behind Durant and Lebron. Got banned for it. In 2013 Brazil still calling Kawhi a "role player". He was still using the label into 2015. :lmao

My names were titdandude and chief12 both I made and got banned for saying that. I already knew the kid was a stud since his Spurs debut.

I even called Tony the best PG in 2013. Not a player fan unlike a few here. :lol

[dabom]

"not sure if serious? the best point guard in the league, allstar, mvp candidate, leader, experience in playoffs, battle tested, closer, finals mvp. any gm in the league puts a 18mil a year tag on him if he goes into free agency. let me remind you nash's peak years were between 33-37ish. tony parker is 31 years old. anyone in the league takes parker instead of monroe. now you're just saying crazy things. "

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1268220******=120#start_here

How tony has fallen. :lmao

[dabom]

I said he gets better with higher usage. :lol

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

Butler is a two way player


This is a post that could be taken on out of context.

[urunobili]

Damn the Spurs were also ready to let Hill go for Butler if Leonard wasn't avail. Didn't know that. It's on the second episode.

[Brazil]

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1268220#start_here

Pistons forum in AUG 2013 debating Greg Monroe vs Kawhi.

I called Kawhi the 3rd best SF in the league behind Durant and Lebron. Got banned for it. In 2013 Brazil (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=14466) still calling Kawhi a "role player". He was still using the label into 2015. :lmao

My names were titdandude and chief12 both I made and got banned for saying that. I already knew the kid was a stud since his Spurs debut.

I even called Tony the best PG in 2013. Not a player fan unlike a few here. :lol

:lol so you never posted anything related to Kawhi before him winning his FMVP... thanks for confirming. Your "I posted that on reddit under random username" sounds like "I am an engineer but I don't do calculus"

Who is right since the beginning is Helicopter_Johnson or John or something who created a nice thread about how high he was on Kawhi right after the trade. I, for one, was on this trade was great bandwagon while FkLA was melting down with DPG over it :lmao

For the rest, first of in 2013 Kawhi was a role player and I never called Kawhi a role player in 2015.

:lol not sure why people bother lying or making up stories when among my 23,000 posts you can find anything you need... I had my shares of bad takes and/or predictions over the years

[Silver&Black]

"I am an engineer but I don't do calculus"

Brazil....

My nigga.

[Brazil]

Brazil....

My nigga.

Neat..

[dabom]

:lol so you never posted anything related to Kawhi before him winning his FMVP... thanks for confirming. Your "I posted that on reddit under random username" sounds like "I am an engineer but I don't do calculus"

Who is right since the beginning is Helicopter_Johnson or John or something who created a nice thread about how high he was on Kawhi right after the trade. I, for one, was on this trade was great bandwagon while FkLA was melting down with DPG over it :lmao

For the rest, first of in 2013 Kawhi was a role player and I never called Kawhi a role player in 2015.

:lol not sure why people bother lying or making up stories when among my 23,000 posts you can find anything you need... I had my shares of bad takes and/or predictions over the years

I have the name and password for it. Maybe someone wanna confirm?

Just because I didn't post it in ST doesn't make it fake you stupid fuck. :lmao

Better yet. Here is the name and password

titandude butternjelly1

Sign in to if faggot. :lmao

Doesn't change the fact that I knew Kawhi was a beast when bolded fags calling him a role player. :lmao

Your basketball takes is the worst on ST to be honest.

From Kawhi is a role player to Tony-white knighting shtick. :lmao

[dabom]

Most of my basketball takes on the Spurs have been spot on. Fucking shit cucks like Brazil got nothing on that. :lmao

[dabom]

I thought I didn't need to murder any more bolds in ST after my first year. Lets pour out some alcohol for my fellow spurstalker Brazil (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=14466). :lmao

[Brazil]

:lol that's a cute meltdown

[dabom]

You've been the problem in ST this whole time. Think about it. Lol

[Aztecfan03]

Shout out to Apo and dabom for seeing it from day 1, tbh..
And wanting to trade him for beal and ariza, right?

[rasuo214]

Man. imagine a Parker/Butler/Kawhi/Timmy/Lamarcus*** lineup.

Only negative would have been possibly losing Danny but maybe not since he may not have had a chance to show off the goods. Do the Spurs still win a championship with Butler? Do they win more than 1?