Kawhi

[UZER]

Despite the loss last night, it was the first time Ive really seen Kawhi completely take over a game in the playoffs. I know he's done it regular season, but he needed to prove he could do it when it mattered. I think to himself as well. It was a huge step into superstardom.

He showed he's an assassin that even when the game looks over, you've got to watch out for him because he coming he can still steal if from you.

And he's only going to get better. :tu

[RD2191]

Too bad he's surrounded by shit.

[duncan2k5]

I pray to god he doesn't leave...we will be unbeatable when tony and many leaves

[Phenomanul]

I pray to god he doesn't leave...we will be unbeatable when tony and many leaves

New Spurs "fans...". :rolleyes

Manu and Tony earned 4 championship trophies... they are the only active NBA players with more than three... Father Time catches up to everyone... none can escape him...

Bunch of ingrates and internet warriors up in here...

[lilbthebasedgod]

New Spurs "fans...". :rolleyes

Manu and Tony earned 4 championship trophies... they are the only active NBA players with more than three... Father Time catches up to everyone... none can escape him...

Bunch of ingrates and internet warriors up in here...

Father time does catch up with everyone. Doesn't mean we shouldn't call for a change as soon as it has.

Personally I think both can be serviceable however

[apalisoc_9]

Too bad he's surrounded by shit.

[DMC]

You're not going to be invited to the dance every year. Get over it. Just be glad you're still watching your team play in the post season. Many fans here never experienced missing the post season or have a really shitty team. Just talk to the Lakers trolls and such, or the Mav fans for perspective.

[duncan2k5]

New Spurs "fans...". :rolleyes

Manu and Tony earned 4 championship trophies... they are the only active NBA players with more than three... Father Time catches up to everyone... none can escape him...

Bunch of ingrates and internet warriors up in here...

I'm far from new...been on this board before even you I'm sure...but I'm a SPURS fan...I loved many and parker back in the day...but they are hurting the team right now...should we keep them on the team forever because they won championships for us? Smh...player fans...

[james evans]

New Spurs "fans...". :rolleyes

Manu and Tony earned 4 championship trophies... they are the only active NBA players with more than three... Father Time catches up to everyone... none can escape him...

Bunch of ingrates and internet warriors up in here...
we know father time catches up to everyone. it's up to the COACH to make sure these guys aren't playing. Ginobli is done and the scary thing is that I'm 100% sure he's gonna get another contract for next season to fuck things up

[daslicer]

we know father time catches up to everyone. it's up to the COACH to make sure these guys aren't playing. Ginobli is done and the scary thing is that I'm 100% sure he's gonna get another contract for next season to fuck things up

My problem with Manu is not so much he sucks but the fact that he demanded to get overpaid during the summertime. He took that 15 mil and is definitely not worth it all.

[james evans]

Father time does catch up with everyone. Doesn't mean we shouldn't call for a change as soon as it has.

Personally I think both can be serviceable however
ginobli has not scored a single point in this series. NOT ONE POINT!!! Are you aware of this?

[Phenomanul]

I'm far from new...been on this board before even you I'm sure...but I'm a SPURS fan...I loved many and parker back in the day...but they are hurting the team right now...should we keep them on the team forever because they won championships for us? Smh...player fans....

I've been a fan since 1989... Robinson's rookie year... you became a Spurs fan with Duncan's arrival... I'm not saying TP9 and Manu are the same players they've always been... they do deserve the fan bases' respect. And they're not getting it from the noobs... you're feeding into that dynamic...

[ElNono]

Love Kawhi but he needs to bring the Ws, tbh... it's not that he didn't try, and as Roberto said, it might well be that he's surrounded with shit (in which case, who's fault is it?).

He had the game in his hands, had a clean look with plenty of time, and couldn't deliver... you can only hope he gets better at it...

[bic50]

Love Kawhi but he needs to bring the Ws, tbh... it's not that he didn't try, and as Roberto said, it might well be that he's surrounded with shit (in which case, who's fault is it?).

He had the game in his hands, had a clean look with plenty of time, and couldn't deliver... you can only hope he gets better at it...
Wtf

[ElNono]

Wtf

well, are we going to hold him to the same standards that Timmy set? or not?

[bic50]

well, are we going to hold him to the same standards that Timmy set? or not?
I wouldn't put a loss like this on Timmy.

[hater]

Kawhi was basically kicking the corner kicks and scoring the goals at the same time

If he had won last nights game it possibly would be one of the greatest performances in playoff history. And the series would be over

But cant blame him for going 5 of 6 or whatever from 3 point in the final minutes

[spursistan]

Too bad he's surrounded by shit.

[ElNono]

I wouldn't put a loss like this on Timmy.

When Tim played like Kawhi last night, we won.. a lot... it's all I'm pointing out... there's a million reasons that have nothing to do with Kawhi for last night's loss

[daslicer]

When Tim played like Kawhi last night, we won.. a lot... it's all I'm pointing out... there's a million reasons that have nothing to do with Kawhi for last night's loss

Most of the time whenever Tim scored 40 plus points in the playoffs the spurs actually lost. The only time they won with a 40 plus point game from Tim was in '08 against the Suns when he hit that 3 on Shaq.

[ElNono]

Most of the time whenever Tim scored 40 plus points in the playoffs the spurs actually lost. The only time they won with a 40 plus point game from Tim was in '08 against the Suns when he hit that 3 on Shaq.

ehhh... he dominated against the Lakeshow in '03, and we won... we were basically riding him as much as we're riding Kawhi now...

[YGWHI]

well, are we going to hold him to the same standards that Timmy set? or not?

Stop acting like we won every close game with Tim.

Kawhi hit the amazing 3 to send it to OT but Pop bad defense scheme on that play gave Marc a shot...Remember Tim's amazing shot vs Lakers before Fisher hit that one?

Well, Kawhi already did what Tim. Put his team at the best position to be successful.

[spursistan]

well, are we going to hold him to the same standards that Timmy set? or not?
Timmy had his career playoff high (41 pts) in a game 7 we lost at home (vs Mavs in 2006) in which he missed a put back layup buzzer beater..

To even imply that he or Kawhi have to take a smidgen of blame for thee gut-wrenching losses is absolutely ridiculously... It happens, and we know exactly who bottled the game in both instances..

[daslicer]

ehhh... he dominated against the Lakeshow in '03, and we won... we were basically riding him as much as we're riding Kawhi now...

Fact is fact whenever Tim scored 40 or more the Spurs lost. You can look up all of Tim's 40 point playoff games and you will see a bunch of loses except for the '08 suns game. One of my favorite Duncan 40 point games was in '01 against the Lakers in game 2 of the WCF. Duncan dominated that game and was a one man show but it wasn't enough to overcome Kobe and Shaq but it was a pretty heroic game in my eyes. Just because a superstar has a dominant game doesn't guarantee a win. I always gave Duncan a pass when the spurs lost because I knew he showed up and gave it his all. That's the standard I have held Kawhi to. Last year I was one of Kawhi's biggest critics. I called him out a lot for not showing up for half of the series against the thunder. If you look up my old posts you will see it. A lot of people called me a Kawhi hater. I was impressed by Kawhi in this game because historically the last few years in the playoffs whenever he has a bad game he tends to be shit for the rest of the series. If Kawhi disappears in the upcoming games I will criticize him.

[ElNono]

Stop acting like we won every close game with Tim.

Kawhi hits the amazing 3 to send it to OT but Pop bad defense scheme on that play give Marc a shot...Remember Tim's amazing shot vs Lakers before Fisher hit that one?

Well, Kawhi already did what Tim. Put his team at the best position to be successful.

0.4 was robbery, we all know that. And Tim did actually hit what was supposed to be the gamewinner then... not an airball. Look, it's not even hating on Kawhi, I want him to get better. Maybe it's asking too much, being too greedy.

I hate that the team wasted such an amazing performance, but let's not gloss over he had the game in his hands with plenty of time...

[apalisoc_9]

Tim Had Prime Parker and Ginobili. He also had the best 3 and D player in the league.

Kawhi doesn't exactly have that kind of luxury.

[ElNono]

Fact is fact whenever Tim scored 40 or more the Spurs lost. You can look up all of Tim's 40 point playoff games and you will see a bunch of loses except for the '08 suns game. One of my favorite Duncan 40 point games was in '01 against the Lakers in game 2 of the WCF. Duncan dominated that game and was a one man show but it wasn't enough to overcome Kobe and Shaq but it was a pretty heroic game in my eyes. Just because a superstar has a dominant game doesn't guarantee a win. I always gave Duncan a pass when the spurs lost because I knew he showed up and gave it his all. That's the standard I have held Kawhi to. Last year I was one of Kawhi's biggest critics. I called him out a lot for not showing up for half of the series against the thunder. If you look up my old posts you will see it. A lot of people called me a Kawhi hater. I was impressed by Kawhi in this game because historically the last few years in the playoffs whenever he has a bad game he tends to be shit for the rest of the series. If Kawhi disappears in the upcoming games I will criticize him.

Again, I'm not even hating. I really wanted him to hit that gamewinner... it would've been only fair for his amazing performance. It's just bittersweet, but I'm not putting the loss on him.

[daslicer]

0.4 was robbery, we all know that. And Tim did actually hit what was supposed to be the gamewinner then... not an airball. Look, it's not even hating on Kawhi, I want him to get better. Maybe it's asking too much, being too greedy.

I hate that the team wasted such an amazing performance, but let's not gloss over he had the game in his hands with plenty of time...

Tim has had moments where he's missed the game winning shot or tying shot. He miss the game winning shot against the Sonics in game 4 in '05. He missed the final shot of the game against the Lakers which would have tied the game back in game 4 in '02. He missed what would have been a game wining tip in against the pistons in '05 in game 5 which would have won the game but instead it went to OT.

[DPG21920]

Nono, you really have gone off the deep end coinciding with this Manu train wreck. You are saying crazy things and seemingly deflecting everything.

I know you aren't a troll and you are a great poster, but you've been acting crazy since Manu has tanked and lost all objectivity.

[YGWHI]

0.4 was robbery, we all know that. And Tim did actually hit what was supposed to be the gamewinner then... not an airball...

Kawhi made 2 shots to give Spurs a lead, those were supposed game winners too. But sure, blame Kawhi for any Spurs mistake on court. That's really fair.

Also, dont let a fact ruin your narrative "We win every game when Tim scored +40 pts"

[daslicer]

Again, I'm not even hating. I really wanted him to hit that gamewinner... it would've been only fair for his amazing performance. It's just bittersweet, but I'm not putting the loss on him.

I definitely agree I wanted that shot to go in to. It would have been an signature moment for Kawhi and an ESPN classic type of game. It sucks that it didn't' work out.

[ElNono]

Tim has had moments where he's missed the game winning shot or tying shot. He miss the game winning shot against the Sonics in game 4 in '05. He missed the final shot of the game against the Lakers which would have tied the game back in game 4 in '02. He missed what would have been a game wining tip in against the pistons in '05 in game 5 which would have won the game but instead it went to OT.

By that token, he had the gamewinner in game 6 of that sonics series, which wrapped it up. Again, I hate to focus on one game or play, but we're talking about last night's game.

I want him to be money in those situations. Maybe, it's unfair or greedy, but whatever...

[DPG21920]

Kawhi, statistically this year, has been the best "clutch" shooter in the league with game winners FYI.

[ElNono]

Nono, you really have gone off the deep end coinciding with this Manu train wreck. You are saying crazy things and seemingly deflecting everything.

I know you aren't a troll and you are a great poster, but you've been acting crazy since Manu has tanked and lost all objectivity.

why? we're just talking here. I even wanted Bertans for Manu last night, posted so in the game thread. Manu doesn't change anything for me. He barely played these last two games anyways.

[DPG21920]

why? we're just talking here. I even wanted Bertans for Manu last night, posted so in the game thread. Manu doesn't change anything for me. He barely played these last two games anyways.

You wouldn't admit Manu is playing poorly. You campaigned for him to play more I think :lol. You are saying weird stuff about Kawhi even though none of it's true (even what you had in mind from Tim) when evaluated. Just lot's of strange things.

[ElNono]

Also, dont let a fact ruin your narrative "We win every game when Tim scored +40 pts"

Quote where I posted that? I didn't mention a single 40+ anything anywhere. Let's see the quote...

[ElNono]

You wouldn't admit Manu is playing poorly. You campaigned for him to play more I think :lol. You are saying weird stuff about Kawhi even though none of it's true (even what you had in mind from Tim) when evaluated. Just lot's of strange things.

I can quote myself agreeing with him playing badly. In this forum. The rest is trolling... come on son...

[DPG21920]

I can quote myself agreeing with him playing badly. In this forum. The rest is trolling... come on son...

K, was not sure :lol I was getting concerned. I was cranky knowing Tim's last year was last year, so thought you might be going through the same things seeing Manu's last days be so cold and unforgiving.

When SA gets by MEM he will have better moments.

[daslicer]

By that token, he had the gamewinner in game 6 of that sonics series, which wrapped it up. Again, I hate to focus on one game or play, but we're talking about last night's game.

I want him to be money in those situations. Maybe, it's unfair or greedy, but whatever...

Yes Tim won game 6 but he had moments where he didn't always hit the game winner or tying shots like I mentioned. It evened out in his career and the same will happen with Kawhi. You are just creating a ridiculous narrative. I didn't hate on Tim for not coming through in those moments and I'm not going to hate on Kawhi for similar situations. That answers you original question of should we hold Kawhi to same standards as Duncan which I'am so I don't know where you are heading now.

[ElNono]

Yes Tim won game 6 but he had moments where he didn't always hit the game winner or tying shots like I mentioned. It evened out in his career and the same will happen with Kawhi. You are just creating a ridiculous narrative. I didn't hate on Tim for not coming through in those moments and I'm not going to hate on Kawhi for similar situations. That answers you original question of should we hold Kawhi to same standards as Duncan which I'am so I don't know where you are heading now.

I'm not hating on Kawhi. It's true it's unfair to compare to Tim, who had a whole lot more seasons. I just really wanted the W on what was Kawhi's signature game.

[ElNono]

K, was not sure :lol I was getting concerned. I was cranky knowing Tim's last year was last year, so thought you might be going through the same things seeing Manu's last days be so cold and unforgiving.

When SA gets by MEM he will have better moments.

I thought last year could've been Manu's last too... I'm at peace with it. The whole he's coming back next season for $10m is humor, tbh...

[YGWHI]

Quote where I posted that? I didn't mention a single 40+ anything anywhere. Let's see the quote...



Kawhi, statistically this year, has been the best "clutch" shooter in the league with game winners FYI.

Nah...Kawhi just sucks

851445762890366983

[ElNono]

Nah...Kawhi just sucks

851445762890366983

So no 40+ point quote?? :lol I'll wait...

[dabom]

Love Kawhi but he needs to bring the Ws, tbh... it's not that he didn't try, and as Roberto said, it might well be that he's surrounded with shit (in which case, who's fault is it?).

He had the game in his hands, had a clean look with plenty of time, and couldn't deliver... you can only hope he gets better at it...

Don't even joke with this. This isn't chuckbrook going 50 points and -20. Kawhi was the only fucking reason it was even a ball game. Lose the shtick brah. :tu

[dabom]

Kawhi, statistically this year, has been the best "clutch" shooter in the league with game winners FYI.

Also clutch shots in general. We can't discount shots that puts you in position. It was magic yesterday. The time ran out. That's the end of it.

[YGWHI]

So no 40+ point quote?? :lol I'll wait...

"When Tim played like Kawhi last night, we won.. a lot..." Which isnt true. Spurs didnt win those games when Tim had +40.

Also, how Kawhi played? 43 pts 6 steals 7-10 3's

It sounds weird, very rare but neither Tim played like Kawhi yesterday because any other player in NBA history scored +40 pts +5 3's +5 steals.

[dabom]

Kawhi was +18 fuck out here with this lets blame Kawhi shit. It's not even remotely funny. ElNono

[tholdren]

Nah...Kawhi just sucks

851445762890366983

nice airball at the end of 4 and refusal to pass to a wide open teammate. who cares about the loss when you got stats

[bic50]

nice airball at the end of 4 and refusal to pass to a wide open teammate. who cares about the loss when you got stats
Of course you'd give Kawhi blame.

[objective]

Tim Had Prime Parker and Ginobili. He also had the best 3 and D player in the league.

Kawhi doesn't exactly have that kind of luxury.

100% true.

Kawhi has an over 30 past prime Aldridge, completely washed up Parker, and washed up beyond all imagination Manu.

Absurd situation.

[ElNono]

:lol sorry, went out for dinner (nice Thai restaurant, tbh) and I see some shitstorm here... look, all I said was that I wished he would've made that game winner instead of that ugly airball, tbh, it would've been not just great for him personally on a game where he was outstanding, but also would've brought the Spurs a much needed W... much like Tim GW against the Sonics in '05, Manu against the Suns or Dubs in OT, or Tony against some team (I'm sure he has at least one)

- I didn't bring up anything about PPG
- I didn't bring up anything about +/-
- I don't think I 'hated' or diminished Kawhi's phenomenal game in any shape or form

There would've been nobody else I wanted to take that shot, tbh...

[kaji157]

Kawhi was great, nothing to see here.
It´s never good when a team needs a player to do that much.
Did he fuck up the last play of regulation? He did, but also Tony, Manu and TD before him from time to time.
Spurs were usually very effective when faced against one-man teams, now they are feeling the backfire of being one.

[cd98]

After David and Tim, now we got Kawhi...we are not worthy.

[DMC]

My problem with Manu is not so much he sucks but the fact that he demanded to get overpaid during the summertime. He took that 15 mil and is definitely not worth it all.

It's in his best interest to get as much as possible. Do you think he held a knife to Pop's temple to get the contract?

[DMC]

:lol sorry, went out for dinner (nice Thai restaurant, tbh) and I see some shitstorm here... look, all I said was that I wished he would've made that game winner instead of that ugly airball, tbh, it would've been not just great for him personally on a game where he was outstanding, but also would've brought the Spurs a much needed W... much like Tim GW against the Sonics in '05, Manu against the Suns or Dubs in OT, or Tony against some team (I'm sure he has at least one)

- I didn't bring up anything about PPG
- I didn't bring up anything about +/-
- I don't think I 'hated' or diminished Kawhi's phenomenal game in any shape or form

There would've been nobody else I wanted to take that shot, tbh...

Let's get down to brass tacks El... we're just trying to avoid the upset. We know goddamn well we're not going to the Finals.

[ElNono]

Let's get down to brass tacks El... we're just trying to avoid the upset. We know goddamn well we're not going to the Finals.

I'm not the religious kind, tbh, but we're going to need some divine intervention to get there...

[daslicer]

It's in his best interest to get as much as possible. Do you think he held a knife to Pop's temple to get the contract?

You right but the caveat is that when you take the money expect the criticism and no empathy when you are playing like shit which Manu is.

[rasuo214]

Tim Had Prime Parker and Ginobili. He also had the best 3 and D player in the league.

Kawhi doesn't exactly have that kind of luxury.


Tim also had Pop in his prime, back when he cared more about winning than bitching about the president or astronomy. Having a clutch guy like Horry didn't hurt either.

[bic50]

It's in his best interest to get as much as possible. Do you think he held a knife to Pop's temple to get the contract?
Agreed. Can't blame guys like manu or Parker for taking the money. I'd do the same if I were them.

[Play Boban]

New Spurs "fans...". :rolleyes

Manu and Tony earned 4 championship trophies... they are the only active NBA players with more than three... Father Time catches up to everyone... none can escape him...

Bunch of ingrates and internet warriors up in here...
It's disgusting to see these idiot "fans" trashing our legends tbh. They should be stripped of their fan hood and be GS fans tbh.

[daslicer]

It's disgusting to see these idiot "fans" trashing our legends tbh. They should be stripped of their fan hood and be GS fans tbh.

TBH I could never be a fan of the cum brothers, Draymonkey, and bitch ****** Durant. I'll keep my fandom since I have been a fan of the Spurs since '94 which was before Duncan,Manu,Parker.

[absoloot66]

Kawhi was basically kicking the corner kicks and scoring the goals at the same time

:tuSure looked that way:lol.


If he had won last nights game it possibly would be one of the greatest performances in playoff history.

My feelings exactly. Rest of the team wasted a jaw-dropping individual performance. Let's hope it inspires better performances from them also, here on out.

[daslicer]

It's disgusting to see these idiot "fans" trashing our legends tbh. They should be stripped of their fan hood and be GS fans tbh.

TBH I could never be a fan of the cum brothers, Draymonkey, and bitch n!gger Durant. I'll keep my fandom since I have been a fan of the Spurs since '94 which was before Duncan,Manu,Parker.

[TDomination]

For me it hurts that they lost Cause I badly want to go back and watch the game and enjoy everything kawhi did with clutch steal and clutch 3's but I just can't because I wouldn't enjoy it since we lost. Maybe if we bounce back and win game 5, I can go back and watch it and enjoy it.

[lilbthebasedgod]

ginobli has not scored a single point in this series. NOT ONE POINT!!! Are you aware of this?
Very well aware. Its only been 4 games, although its been an awful 4 games.

he's been a servicable 3 and d guy, but a horrible pg this season. If he will accept his role as the former then I'd be fine having him next year.

[UZER]

Very well aware. Its only been 4 games, although its been an awful 4 games.

he's been a servicable 3 and d guy, but a horrible pg this season. If he will accept his role as the former then I'd be fine having him next year.

He will never accept that role. That is his biggest problem. He plays the way he plays and has always played, even if he is 45 yrs old. That's why it's on pop to yank him after 3 minutes if he's doesn't have it. Instead, pop decides to put him back I'm the the 2nd half. :lol

[Poolboy5623]

New Spurs "fans...". :rolleyes

Manu and Tony earned 4 championship trophies... they are the only active NBA players with more than three... Father Time catches up to everyone... none can escape him...

Bunch of ingrates and internet warriors up in here...

so Father Time clearly catches up....just ignore it and play on? I've been watching the Spurs since 1990. Your comment is BS.

[wildbill2u]

I think Kwahi took that next step to superstardom with his play in the 4th quarter to get us to a great chance to win. But even superstars can run out of gas in OT when playing that hard both ways. You shouldn't put the loss on Kwahi because he tried to push himself a little too much in OT. Supurb effort.

[Horse]

NO ONE and I mean NO ONE couldve don't more than
kawhi did to win that game. And he was anyone hitting one more shot or the stupid fucking timekeeper doing his job correctly from winning it.

[Phenomanul]

so Father Time clearly catches up....just ignore it and play on? I've been watching the Spurs since 1990. Your comment is BS.

So treat Manu and TP9 like they were hacks? Ok got it. Manu certainly isn't playing well offensively but he is contributing in other areas (steals / assists), but it isn't like he is playing many minutes... Tony has had a roller coaster series, playing really well in some games and not so good in others...

My point was THEIR performance today doesn't mean they need to be treated like S#1t around here which is what the n00bs are doing...

If you've been a fan since 1990 then you'd understand we haven't always been as blessed...

They deserve our respect no matter their current struggles... it's up to Pop to determine how best to limit their minutes... and to play the young guys a bit more...

For the record, despite Manu's inability to score a single point across four games... he has only taken 15 attempts (and should've gone to the line on at least 4 of those attempts). For context, Westbrook missed 15 attempts in the 4th quarter alone of Game 2 in his respective series. That said, Manu has managed to produce the 3rd best DRtg behind Kawhi and Dedmon in the series. He's second only to Kawhi in steals and tied for 3rd on the team with 8 assists - in fact he has the highest AST/TOV on the team with 4.0 (which is historically an area one can nitpick against him - but not in this series). In other words, Manu knows he is struggling to put the ball in the hoop but is still contributing.

[Phenomanul]

As for Kawhi...

I can't even... he put on a masterful performance... it just fell shy because the Grizzlies hit a lucky shot at the end... (Marc Gasol shot that with his palm...)

I remember two first round series in which the Spurs lost games on last second shots (Suns '03 / Mavs '14) and the Spurs' seemed to do ok...

What does surprise me is how often the Spurs are on the wrong side of unprecedented situations... and get screwed by the decision-making of the officiating crews or league decisions...

2006 vs. the Mavericks (WCSF): Timmy fouls out of a game by being pushed into Dirk from behind by Dampier - Dirk actually steps on Duncan's foot... but Duncan gets assessed for the foul. Anybody else remember the Mavs getting 50 free-throws in Game 1? Or how about Duncan being deliberately hacked by Dampier on the final putback attempt in Game 7? And still... no whistle.

2008 vs. the Lakers (WCF): The league schedules Game 1 of the WC Finals as an early start even though the Spurs had been held up in New Orleans after beating NOH on the road in Game 7. They didn't arrive in LA until 5 am on May 20th... Game 1 on the 21st at 6:00 pm. The Spurs actually start strong but can't maintain their legs. Kobe and Fisher are allowed to beat up Tony and Manu on their way to a Game 1 win. Then in Game 4 the league assigns recently re-instated Joey Crawford to officiate a Spurs game (to make a point that there was no conflict of interest with his return to the league given the reason for Joey's departure). On the game's most pivotal play, Joey swallows his whistle (Fisher jumps on Brent Barry's back on a last second three point attempt that would've given the Spurs a chance to tie [yes Barry traveled on the play but one had to see that clip in real slow motion to even identify the violation... the foul however was OBVIOUS and should have been called]). Earlier that year NBA Commissioner, David Stern, goes on record saying that his dream Finals would be Lakers vs. Celtics... He got his wish...

2012 vs. the Thunder (WCF): Game 5 and Game 6 were so horrifically officiated I can't even recall how many goal-tending calls Ibaka got away with. Anybody else remember a nullified 3 pointer by Ginobili because they called an off-the ball foul AFTER Ginobili's shot went in... what would've been a go-ahead basket? Then there was Parker who fouled Westbrook on a pivotal layup except Parker never even touched him... a review of the play shows that the whistle was blown before Westbrook even jumped towards the hoop. Those last two games reeked of being rigged.

2013 vs. the Heat (NBA Finals): Everybody will rightfully remember Ray Allen's shot to force OT in Game 6. What they won't remember was Allen traveling on the shot. Or that he stepped out of bounds (right in front of the ref) two possessions prior (which resulted in points for the Heat prior to Kawhi's free-throw miss). Most egregiously of all, no one remembers the fact that Joey Crawford denied the Spurs a chance to catch the Heat flat-flooted after the euphoria of Allen's shot. Ginobili had a streaking Kawhi and would've inbounded the ball behind Rashard Lewis (who would've been behind the play) INSTEAD Joey Crawford stops the game (actually pulls the ball from Manu's hands) to check whether or not Ray's shot was a three or a two... everybody and their momma knew that Allen was behind the 3-point line when he shot that - that part of the shot wasn't even debatable. Popovich is shown on the sidelines furiously yelling something along the lines of "You can't f****** do that!!!" repeatedly at Crawford - who simply smirks back. On the next play, the Heat NOW with a set defense, Chris Bosh fouls Danny Green on a last second attempt - no whistle...

2015 vs. the Clippers (1st round): The Spurs end up as a 6th seed despite having better record than the 4th seeded Blazers. End up with a horrible match up against a streaking Clippers team. It's a fairly officiated series. With one really odd play (again a situational oddity that ends up screwing the Spurs). In the waning moments of Game 7, one of the officials allows the Spurs to set up their play and then "manually" stops the game clock with a device behind his back - giving the Clippers a preview of the play. Rivers makes an adjustment, makes a quick sub - the Spurs aren't allowed to draw up another play - Matt Barnes "reads" the play and intercepts the pass to Kawhi. Setting up the OT.

2016 vs. the Thunder (WCSF): Dion Waiters fouls Ginobili before inbounding the ball in the waning moments of Game 2... the Spurs manage to take possession of the ball on Waiter's badly thrown inbounds (Durant slips), Patty misses in the scramble, but Aldridge is fouled on his putback attempt (no whistle). The whole play should've been rendered moot and Ginobili granted free-throws. Later that series, Adams deliberately trips Danny Green who falls into Durant, Durant gives them the go-ahead points from the free throw line. Next play Spurs miss a shot, and Kawhi tries to purposely foul Westbrook to stop the clock since they are only down 1, but no foul is called - a bewildered Aldridge gets caught flat-footed on defense of the rim - Westbrook And-1 - game over. That whole sequence was crap.

Edit: The reason why I brought all this up was because I saw another such play with less than two minutes left in the recent Game 4 (when the shot-clock failed to reset and Mills rushed his shot). You can't tell me the officials didn't have the authority to stop the game and reset the play. Memphis came back and scored on their end. Do I believe the Spurs will lose the series? No... I do however believe the league is allowing Memphis to be overly physical with the Spurs because they might have a subvert agenda to push for a rematch of the last two NBA Finals - the only team that legitimately stands in the way of that are the Spurs.

[spurs1990]

As for Kawhi...

I can't even... he put on a masterful performance... it just fell shy because the Grizzlies hit a lucky shot at the end... (Marc Gasol shot that with his palm...)

I remember two first round series in which the Spurs lost games on last second shots (Suns '03 / Mavs '14) and the Spurs' seemed to do ok...

What does surprise me is how often the Spurs are on the wrong side of unprecedented situations... and get screwed by the decision-making of the officiating crews or league decisions...

2006 vs. the Mavericks (WCSF): Timmy fouls out of a game by being pushed into Dirk from behind by Dampier - Dirk actually steps on Duncan's foot... but Duncan gets assessed for the foul. Anybody else remember the Mavs getting 50 free-throws in Game 1? Or how about Duncan being deliberately hacked by Dampier on the final putback attempt in Game 7? And still... no whistle.

2008 vs. the Lakers (WCF): The league schedules Game 1 of the WC Finals as an early start even though the Spurs had been held up in New Orleans after beating NOH on the road in Game 7. They didn't arrive in LA until 5 am on May 20th... Game 1 on the 21st at 6:00 pm. The Spurs actually start strong but can't maintain their legs. Kobe and Fisher are allowed to beat up Tony and Manu on their way to a Game 1 win. Then in Game 4 the league assigns recently re-instated Joey Crawford to officiate a Spurs game. The game's most pivotal play - Joey swallows his whistle. Earlier that year NBA Commissioner, Stern goes on record saying that his dream Finals would be Lakers vs. Celtics... He got his wish.

2012 vs. the Thunder (WCF): Game 5 and Game 6 were so horrifically officiated I can't even recall how many goal-tending calls Ibaka got away with. Anybody else remember a nullified 3 pointer by Ginobili because they called an off-the ball foul AFTER Ginobili's shot went in... what would've been a go-ahead basket? Then there was Parker who fouled Westbrook on a pivotal layup except Parker never even touched him... a review of the play shows that the whistle was blown before Westbrook even jumped towards the hoop. Those last two games reeked of being rigged.

2013 vs. the Heat (NBA Finals): Everybody will rightfully remember Ray Allen's shot to force OT in Game 6. What they won't remember was Allen traveling on the shot. Or that he stepped out of bounds (right in front of the ref) two possessions prior (which resulted in points for the Heat prior to Kawhi's free-throw miss). Most egregiously of all, no one remembers the fact that Joey Crawford denied the Spurs a chance to catch the Heat flat-flooted after Allen's shot. Ginobili had a streaking Kawhi and would've inbounded the ball behind Rashard Lewis (who would've been behind the play) INSTEAD Joey Crawford stops the game to check whether or not Ray's shot was a three or a two... everybody and their momma knew that Allen was behind the 3-point line when he shot that - that part of the shot wasn't even debatable. Popovich is furious yelling something along the lines of "You can't f****** do that!!!" repeatedly at Crawford - who simply smirks back. Next play, with a set defense Chris Bosh fouls Danny Green on a last second attempt - no whistle...

2015 vs. the Clippers (1st round): The Spurs end up as a 6th seed despite having better record than the 4th seeded Blazers. End up with a horrible match up against a streaking Clippers team. It's a fairly officiated series. With one really odd play (again a situational oddity that ends up screwing the Spurs). In the waning moments of Game 7, one of the officials allows the Spurs to set up their play and then "manually" stops the game clock with a device behind his back - giving the Clippers a preview of the play. Rivers makes an adjustment, makes a quick sub - the Spurs aren't allowed to draw up another play - Matt Barnes "reads" the play and intercepts the pass to Kawhi. Setting up the OT.

2016 vs. the Thunder (WCSF): Dion Waiters fouls Ginobili before inbounding the ball in the waning moments of Game 2... the Spurs manage to take possession of the ball on Waiter's badly thrown inbounds (Durant slips), Patty misses in the scramble, but Aldridge is fouled on his putback attempt (no whistle). The whole play should've been rendered moot and Ginobili granted free-throws. Later that series, Adams deliberately trips Danny Green who falls into Durant, Durant gives them the go-ahead points from the free throw line. Next play Spurs miss a shot, and Kawhi tries to purposely foul Westbrook to stop the clock since they are only down 1, but no foul is called - a bewildered Aldridge gets caught flat-footed on defense of the rim - Westbrook And-1 - game over. That whole sequence was crap.

Bravo on this summation; a must-read for all Spurs fans of this and the older era to remind them that overall the calls have always gone against SA.

I've always referred to the 2006 Mavs series (where AJ had the stones to actually complain about calls against Dallas!) and that s-storm of bad calls vs OKC in 2012 as the most egregious.
But I actually wasn't even aware of that bad timing in 2008 game 1 vs LA (not to mention that no-call on Brent Barry when Fisher clearly fouled him at the end of game 4.... I suspect your theory is spot on in the league being dead set on not having a repeat of 2007 Finals ratings.

And I also want to add caveats to every other possible title season since Duncan was drafted:
1998 - Robinson is hammered by a nasty elbow from Malone coupled with Duncan injuring his ankle doomed them in the semis vs the eventual West champ
2000 - Duncan doesn't even play in the postseason due to cautionary treatment of his knee
2001 - Spurs lose their 2nd leading scorer (maybe 2nd best player?) in Derek Anderson after a super dirty flagrant by Juwan Howard vs Dallas - Can't score worth a lick in game 1/2 losses to LA in WCF
2002 - DRob is hobbled vs Lakers and the series is extremely close - Spurs have the lead in every single game's 2nd half
2004 - Fisher

At least we can all confidently admit 2009 and 2010 Spurs had no business in the later rounds...so many deficiencies, injuries those two years.

[spurs1990]

Great one minute of video (starting at 4:31) showcasing Leonard's worth.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNt4O2X6E8Y&feature=youtu.be&t=4m31s

[Thomas82]

As for Kawhi...

I can't even... he put on a masterful performance... it just fell shy because the Grizzlies hit a lucky shot at the end... (Marc Gasol shot that with his palm...)

I remember two first round series in which the Spurs lost games on last second shots (Suns '03 / Mavs '14) and the Spurs' seemed to do ok...

What does surprise me is how often the Spurs are on the wrong side of unprecedented situations... and get screwed by the decision-making of the officiating crews or league decisions...

2006 vs. the Mavericks (WCSF): Timmy fouls out of a game by being pushed into Dirk from behind by Dampier - Dirk actually steps on Duncan's foot... but Duncan gets assessed for the foul. Anybody else remember the Mavs getting 50 free-throws in Game 1? Or how about Duncan being deliberately hacked by Dampier on the final putback attempt in Game 7? And still... no whistle.

2008 vs. the Lakers (WCF): The league schedules Game 1 of the WC Finals as an early start even though the Spurs had been held up in New Orleans after beating NOH on the road in Game 7. They didn't arrive in LA until 5 am on May 20th... Game 1 on the 21st at 6:00 pm. The Spurs actually start strong but can't maintain their legs. Kobe and Fisher are allowed to beat up Tony and Manu on their way to a Game 1 win. Then in Game 4 the league assigns recently re-instated Joey Crawford to officiate a Spurs game (to make a point that there was no conflict of interest with his return to the league given the reason for Joey's departure). On the game's most pivotal play Joey swallows his whistle (Fisher jumping on Brent Barry's back on a three point attempt that would've given them a chance to tie [yes Barry traveled on the play but one had to see that clip in real slow motion to see that... the foul however was OBVIOUS]). Earlier that year NBA Commissioner, David Stern goes on record saying that his dream Finals would be Lakers vs. Celtics... He got his wish...

2012 vs. the Thunder (WCF): Game 5 and Game 6 were so horrifically officiated I can't even recall how many goal-tending calls Ibaka got away with. Anybody else remember a nullified 3 pointer by Ginobili because they called an off-the ball foul AFTER Ginobili's shot went in... what would've been a go-ahead basket? Then there was Parker who fouled Westbrook on a pivotal layup except Parker never even touched him... a review of the play shows that the whistle was blown before Westbrook even jumped towards the hoop. Those last two games reeked of being rigged.

2013 vs. the Heat (NBA Finals): Everybody will rightfully remember Ray Allen's shot to force OT in Game 6. What they won't remember was Allen traveling on the shot. Or that he stepped out of bounds (right in front of the ref) two possessions prior (which resulted in points for the Heat prior to Kawhi's free-throw miss). Most egregiously of all, no one remembers the fact that Joey Crawford denied the Spurs a chance to catch the Heat flat-flooted after Allen's shot. Ginobili had a streaking Kawhi and would've inbounded the ball behind Rashard Lewis (who would've been behind the play) INSTEAD Joey Crawford stops the game to check whether or not Ray's shot was a three or a two... everybody and their momma knew that Allen was behind the 3-point line when he shot that - that part of the shot wasn't even debatable. Popovich is shown on the sidelines furiously yelling something along the lines of "You can't f****** do that!!!" repeatedly at Crawford - who simply smirks back. On the next play, the Heat NOW with a set defense, Chris Bosh fouls Danny Green on a last second attempt - no whistle...

2015 vs. the Clippers (1st round): The Spurs end up as a 6th seed despite having better record than the 4th seeded Blazers. End up with a horrible match up against a streaking Clippers team. It's a fairly officiated series. With one really odd play (again a situational oddity that ends up screwing the Spurs). In the waning moments of Game 7, one of the officials allows the Spurs to set up their play and then "manually" stops the game clock with a device behind his back - giving the Clippers a preview of the play. Rivers makes an adjustment, makes a quick sub - the Spurs aren't allowed to draw up another play - Matt Barnes "reads" the play and intercepts the pass to Kawhi. Setting up the OT.

2016 vs. the Thunder (WCSF): Dion Waiters fouls Ginobili before inbounding the ball in the waning moments of Game 2... the Spurs manage to take possession of the ball on Waiter's badly thrown inbounds (Durant slips), Patty misses in the scramble, but Aldridge is fouled on his putback attempt (no whistle). The whole play should've been rendered moot and Ginobili granted free-throws. Later that series, Adams deliberately trips Danny Green who falls into Durant, Durant gives them the go-ahead points from the free throw line. Next play Spurs miss a shot, and Kawhi tries to purposely foul Westbrook to stop the clock since they are only down 1, but no foul is called - a bewildered Aldridge gets caught flat-footed on defense of the rim - Westbrook And-1 - game over. That whole sequence was crap.

Edit: The reason why I brought all this up was because I saw another such play with less than two minutes left in the recent Game 4 (when the shot-clock failed to reset and Mills rushed his shot). You can't tell me the officials didn't have the authority to stop the game and reset the play. Memphis came back and scored on their end. Do I believe the Spurs will lose the series? No... I do however believe the league is allowing Memphis to be overly physical with the Spurs because they might have a subvert agenda to push for a rematch of the last two NBA Finals - the only team that legitimately stands in the way of that are the Spurs.

Excellent post!!

[spurs1990]

I just googled it and found out Manu Ginobili was out for the season starting April 5 in 2009.

We can attribute that to why Spurs got bounced in the 1st round vs Dallas.

[Kyle Orton]

:cry muh moral victories :lmao

[Kyle Orton]

As for Kawhi...

I can't even... he put on a masterful performance... it just fell shy because the Grizzlies hit a lucky shot at the end... (Marc Gasol shot that with his palm...)

I remember two first round series in which the Spurs lost games on last second shots (Suns '03 / Mavs '14) and the Spurs' seemed to do ok...

What does surprise me is how often the Spurs are on the wrong side of unprecedented situations... and get screwed by the decision-making of the officiating crews or league decisions...

2006 vs. the Mavericks (WCSF): Timmy fouls out of a game by being pushed into Dirk from behind by Dampier - Dirk actually steps on Duncan's foot... but Duncan gets assessed for the foul. Anybody else remember the Mavs getting 50 free-throws in Game 1? Or how about Duncan being deliberately hacked by Dampier on the final putback attempt in Game 7? And still... no whistle.

2008 vs. the Lakers (WCF): The league schedules Game 1 of the WC Finals as an early start even though the Spurs had been held up in New Orleans after beating NOH on the road in Game 7. They didn't arrive in LA until 5 am on May 20th... Game 1 on the 21st at 6:00 pm. The Spurs actually start strong but can't maintain their legs. Kobe and Fisher are allowed to beat up Tony and Manu on their way to a Game 1 win. Then in Game 4 the league assigns recently re-instated Joey Crawford to officiate a Spurs game (to make a point that there was no conflict of interest with his return to the league given the reason for Joey's departure). On the game's most pivotal play, Joey swallows his whistle (Fisher jumps on Brent Barry's back on a last second three point attempt that would've given the Spurs a chance to tie [yes Barry traveled on the play but one had to see that clip in real slow motion to even identify the violation... the foul however was OBVIOUS and should have been called]). Earlier that year NBA Commissioner, David Stern, goes on record saying that his dream Finals would be Lakers vs. Celtics... He got his wish...

2012 vs. the Thunder (WCF): Game 5 and Game 6 were so horrifically officiated I can't even recall how many goal-tending calls Ibaka got away with. Anybody else remember a nullified 3 pointer by Ginobili because they called an off-the ball foul AFTER Ginobili's shot went in... what would've been a go-ahead basket? Then there was Parker who fouled Westbrook on a pivotal layup except Parker never even touched him... a review of the play shows that the whistle was blown before Westbrook even jumped towards the hoop. Those last two games reeked of being rigged.

2013 vs. the Heat (NBA Finals): Everybody will rightfully remember Ray Allen's shot to force OT in Game 6. What they won't remember was Allen traveling on the shot. Or that he stepped out of bounds (right in front of the ref) two possessions prior (which resulted in points for the Heat prior to Kawhi's free-throw miss). Most egregiously of all, no one remembers the fact that Joey Crawford denied the Spurs a chance to catch the Heat flat-flooted after the euphoria of Allen's shot. Ginobili had a streaking Kawhi and would've inbounded the ball behind Rashard Lewis (who would've been behind the play) INSTEAD Joey Crawford stops the game (actually pulls the ball from Manu's hands) to check whether or not Ray's shot was a three or a two... everybody and their momma knew that Allen was behind the 3-point line when he shot that - that part of the shot wasn't even debatable. Popovich is shown on the sidelines furiously yelling something along the lines of "You can't f****** do that!!!" repeatedly at Crawford - who simply smirks back. On the next play, the Heat NOW with a set defense, Chris Bosh fouls Danny Green on a last second attempt - no whistle...

2015 vs. the Clippers (1st round): The Spurs end up as a 6th seed despite having better record than the 4th seeded Blazers. End up with a horrible match up against a streaking Clippers team. It's a fairly officiated series. With one really odd play (again a situational oddity that ends up screwing the Spurs). In the waning moments of Game 7, one of the officials allows the Spurs to set up their play and then "manually" stops the game clock with a device behind his back - giving the Clippers a preview of the play. Rivers makes an adjustment, makes a quick sub - the Spurs aren't allowed to draw up another play - Matt Barnes "reads" the play and intercepts the pass to Kawhi. Setting up the OT.

2016 vs. the Thunder (WCSF): Dion Waiters fouls Ginobili before inbounding the ball in the waning moments of Game 2... the Spurs manage to take possession of the ball on Waiter's badly thrown inbounds (Durant slips), Patty misses in the scramble, but Aldridge is fouled on his putback attempt (no whistle). The whole play should've been rendered moot and Ginobili granted free-throws. Later that series, Adams deliberately trips Danny Green who falls into Durant, Durant gives them the go-ahead points from the free throw line. Next play Spurs miss a shot, and Kawhi tries to purposely foul Westbrook to stop the clock since they are only down 1, but no foul is called - a bewildered Aldridge gets caught flat-footed on defense of the rim - Westbrook And-1 - game over. That whole sequence was crap.

Edit: The reason why I brought all this up was because I saw another such play with less than two minutes left in the recent Game 4 (when the shot-clock failed to reset and Mills rushed his shot). You can't tell me the officials didn't have the authority to stop the game and reset the play. Memphis came back and scored on their end. Do I believe the Spurs will lose the series? No... I do however believe the league is allowing Memphis to be overly physical with the Spurs because they might have a subvert agenda to push for a rematch of the last two NBA Finals - the only team that legitimately stands in the way of that are the Spurs.

Were you sitting in a warm tub with a razor in arm' reach while typing this post?

[Phenomanul]

Were you sitting in a warm tub with a razor in arm' reach while typing this post?

LOL no...

It's just ridiculous to me when other fans complain somehow the Spurs are 'league darlings,' when clearly the Spurs have been on the wrong end of the league's decisions more oft than not...

[Thomas82]

I just googled it and found out Manu Ginobili was out for the season starting April 5 in 2009.

We can attribute that to why Spurs got bounced in the 1st round vs Dallas.

That was a major factor. If I'm not mistaken, he was out to start the next season and missed a big chunk of it.

[spurs1990]

LOL no...

It's just ridiculous to me when other fans complain somehow the Spurs are 'league darlings,' when clearly the Spurs have been on the wrong end of the league's decisions more oft than not...

Yes God forbid you post that on an internet website with the URL 'Spurstalk.com'.
Please limit all posts shedding positive light on this NBA team to the reddits, realgms, and insidehoops of the world.


That was a major factor. If I'm not mistaken, he was out to start the next season and missed a big chunk of it.

I feel I need to relinquish my fan card if that entire 2008-2010 Spurs era is a total blank to me.
I absolutely remember the euphoria of #4 in 2007 and that ridiculous stellar regular season in 2011, but in between it's a struggle!

[DMC]

I'm not the religious kind, tbh, but we're going to need some divine intervention to get there...

We'd need someone with a ball bat who can swing it. Where's Tanya Harding's bf?

[DMC]

Were you sitting in a warm tub with a razor in arm' reach while typing this post?

Shavin' his twat?

[BD24]

Too bad he's surrounded by shit.
TBH

[gambit1990]

last year i kept insisting that the ball should in his kawhi's hands more than parker's...

parker fans then: ":lmao you're stupid, he's not lebron :lol"

https://media.giphy.com/media/xT9DPJVjlYHwWsZRxm/giphy.gif

[TheDoctor]

KAWHI LEONARD
2016 - 2017
MPG
FG%
3P%
FT%
PPG
RPG
APG
BPG


PLAYOFFS
37.2
57.6
54.2
97.9
31.6
5.4
3.8
0.2



:claw

[Joseph Kony]

Isn't kawhi shooting a ridiculous TS% around 75% or something? He has easily been the best player in the western playoffs thus far

[ElNono]

Isn't kawhi shooting a ridiculous TS% around 75% or something? He has easily been the best player in the western playoffs thus far

:cry but Westbrook triple-doubles :cry

[TheDoctor]

LINK:

Is SPURS' Kawhi Leonard the Quiet Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? (http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/is-the-spurs-kawhi-leonard-the-quiet-michael-jordan-or-kobe-bryant-042717)

http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/writers/2015writer140x178/Sam-Gardner-140x178.png (http://www.foxsports.com/writer/sam-gardner)
Sam Gardner (http://www.foxsports.com/writer/sam-gardner) Sam_gardner (https://twitter.com/sam_gardner)
Apr 27, 2017 at 10:20a ET

Russell Westbrook and James Harden have dominated the MVP discussion for most of the 2016-17 season, and though the Oklahoma City triple-double machine Westbrook will be watching the rest of the playoffs from afar after Tuesday’s season-ending loss to Harden’s Rockets, the NBA’s top scorers are still thought to be in a two-man race for the prize thanks to their impressive individual accomplishments on the offensive end of the floor.


As a result, Kawhi Leonard’s career season has gone largely overlooked, at least in the context of the expected MVP tally. Despite being the NBA’s pre-eminent perimeter defender and arguably the league’s best two-way player, the San Antonio star, who is averaging 31.6 points and holding opponents to 29.4 percent shooting on jumpers longer than 15 feet through Game 5 of the Spurs’ first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, figures to be on the outside looking in when the winner is announced June 26.










Fortunately, the 25-year-old Leonard is accustomed to being glossed over. Slighted in high school and underappreciated by the masses in college, the San Antonio cornerstone has spent most of his six-year pro career gradually filling out his game amid little fanfare, a trademark of the franchise he represents. But those who know the two-time defending defensive player of the year best are confident that his time in the spotlight is coming, even if basketball’s next big star would just as soon remain in the shadows.
“Show me a better player,” Leonard’s high school coach, Tim Sweeney, challenged me Wednesday by phone from Leonard’s alma mater, Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif. “It’s not to take away from Harden or Westbrook or LeBron (James), because they’re unbelievable. But to me — and this is not because I’m his high school coach — the best player in the NBA is Kawhi Leonard, all around. He plays defense and offense at a level that nobody else in the NBA is doing.


“He’s just amazing,“ Sweeney continued of Leonard, who spent two seasons playing for Sweeney at King. “He continues to amaze me every day with the way that he continues to grow. And he’s only 25. I think you’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg with the level of greatness this kid is beginning to show. Is he possibly the quiet Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? Is that what we’re looking at? We can’t answer that right now, but it certainly looks like he’s headed that way.”


One of the most accomplished coaches in the Inland Empire, Sweeney is the son of a Hall of Fame high school coach and says he knew immediately that he had someone special when Leonard transferred to King from Canyon Springs High School in nearby Moreno Valley, going so far as to describe Leonard as a future NBA All-Star in conversations not long after he arrived on campus.


That debut season, as a junior, Leonard led the Wolves on a deep playoff run, despite losing his father in a shooting in January 2008, less than two months before the team’s loss to Compton powerhouse Dominguez in the SoCal regional championship. By then the previously unheralded Leonard was already firmly on the recruiting radar at San Diego State, the first to offer Leonard a scholarship, but the assumption was that other larger programs would soon follow in droves.



Jake Roth/Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

“You watched him play and he was long-armed, and had the biggest hands of any player I’ve recruited or seen since Chris Webber — huge hands, and every ball that came to his area, he got,” former Aztecs coach Steve Fisher told FOX Sports this week. “And he had the ability to get balls out of his area, you noticed that immediately.


“He was also a guy that could finish off the bounce,” Fisher continued. “You’d get in traffic, and he had a knack for scoring the ball. He was an OK perimeter shooter — not a great perimeter shooter — but he just did things so effortlessly and instinctively that you said, ‘He’s a player,’ and we felt that way from the moment we saw him.”


Leonard had his sights set on UCLA, and Sweeney says he had Leonard “signed, sealed and delivered” to then-Bruins coach Ben Howland. However, Sweeney claims that jealousy over Leonard’s success during a brief AAU stint with L.A. Dream Team in the summer of 2008 ultimately led to Leonard falling out of favor with some of the area’s more high-profile universities.


“Kawhi outshined Renardo Sidney and everyone on the team,” Sweeney said, referencing the troubled former McDonald’s All-American, who was coached by his father, Renardo Sr., and later played at Mississippi State before going undrafted in 2012. “The Sidney group all of a sudden was badmouthing him around everybody, OK? Everybody kind of bought in it, and all these big-time schools — which were probably about eight or 10 of them — dropped off. They literally dropped off the face of the map.”


Calls to a Las Vegas number listed for Sidney were not immediately returned, but Fisher and San Diego State assistant Justin Hutson, Leonard’s lead recruiter, each said they were not aware of any mudslinging by players or coaches from L.A. Dream Team.


“Absolutely not, no,” said Fisher, who retired earlier this month after 18 seasons and eight NCAA tournament appearances at SDSU. “I don’t think that played a role in it at all.


“He was recruited by high, high majors in the power-five leagues, but he wasn’t really, really recruited, and there’s a difference,” Fisher continued. “They would say, ‘Well, I don’t know if he’s big enough to be an inside player and I don’t know if he’s quite skilled enough to be a perimeter player,’ and we just hoped that they would continue to think that.”


“The truth is that he started out with a really good program called Team Eleate and I remember watching him playing in the spring going into his senior year, and he was really good,” added Hutson, who returned to the San Diego State bench in 2013 after two years at UNLV. “We had already turned up the heat at that time, and then he moved over to a little bit more of a national program and he was playing really good for that program also, in front of everybody. It was just a matter of we wanted him and he wanted us.”


To be sure, San Diego State’s early commitment to Leonard played a huge role in his eventual decision to sign with the Aztecs. In 2009, Leonard’s mother, Kim Robertson, spoke with the San Diego Union-Tribune (http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-top-frosh-standing-by-sdsu-decision-2009nov08-story.html) and recalled a conversation in which Leonard told her that once he decided on SDSU, it was “too late” for bigger schools to woo him away, adding, “We never talked about it again.”


“We did our due diligence and we worked him hard, hard, hard,” recalled Fisher, who previously recruited Webber and the rest of the “Fab Five” to Michigan during his nine-year stint in Ann Arbor in the 1990s. “We use the analogy that they wanted to go on a date but weren’t ready to get married to him. We wanted him. We were ready for the marriage to happen.
“And his mother was a huge piece to the commitment to us,” Fisher added of Robertson. “She trusted us, she believed in us, and Kawhi was even more shy then than he is now, and he’s just starting to come out with a willingness to accept some of the spotlight.”


Once on campus at Montezuma Mesa, Leonard quickly developed into the star the program always expected him to be, leading the Mountain West in rebounding while leading the Aztecs to the NCAA tournament for the first time in four years as a freshman. The following season, Leonard’s last with the program, the Aztecs earned a No. 2 seed in the dance — the best in program history — before ultimately falling to the eventual champs, Connecticut, in the Sweet 16.


“He didn’t say very much, but he didn’t have to,” Fisher said of Leonard’s impact on the program during his time in San Diego. “He showed up every day ready to go to work. He loved being in the gym, he practiced the way he wanted to play. You didn’t have to worry about his motor, taking a day off, not being engaged. He was a guy who everybody knew, when practice was over, he’d find his way into a gym to get extra practice in on his own. He was a leader by example.”




A 2011 draft day trade to San Antonio, however, took Leonard out of the spotlight — which Sweeney says was actually exactly what Leonard needed as he settled into the NBA.


“I was just ecstatic,” Sweeney said of the deal, in which the Indiana Pacers acquired George Hill. “Because to be with Coach (Gregg) Popovich, to be able to grow under Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, that was the best thing that could have happened to that kid. It allowed him to learn from three Hall of Famers, allowed him to be able to grow at a pace that was going to be good for him.


“He chose the right place to come in high school, he chose the right place at San Diego and he’s been very blessed to be able to get to the Spurs,” Sweeney continued. “Because it’s allowed him to develop into this monster on the court.”

Wesley Hitt

But whereas Westbrook, Harden, James and other NBA superstars seem to embrace their superstar status, Leonard shies away from the notion, and just this week brushed aside praise from Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, who described Leonard as the second-best player in the world. Although with the benefit of hindsight, the problem may be that Shaq and Chuck undersold him.


“He’s family to me, so of course, I’d pick Kawhi over anybody,” Hutson said. “Obviously there are some really good players out there, and there’s going to be a handful that you can’t go wrong with. But I’m going to put my money on Kawhi every time.”


Regardless, Leonard won’t be able to remain in the shadows for long. As Leonard’s offensive skillset has caught up to his defense, many have come around on Leonard as the model for future pros to emulate. And with time, the awards the new face of the Spurs is currently being snubbed for will follow, too — whether the notoriously modest Leonard wants it.
“When you play for an organization like San Antonio, at times you’re understated a little bit, nationally, because they’ve been so good for so long,” Fisher said.

“But I think if you do your part, as an individual, and do it again and again and again, everybody takes notice. Would we love to see him become league MVP? Absolutely. Will he this year? Probably not. But will he in time? Probably.”

[Brazil]

I'm far from new...been on this board before even you I'm sure...but I'm a SPURS fan...I loved many and parker back in the day...but they are hurting the team right now...should we keep them on the team forever because they won championships for us? Smh...player fans...

Speaking of ST old fart dumbasses tbh...

:lmao

u should have stayed retired from this board, shitty takes piling on even more shitty takes... Smh

[spursistan]

I'm calling it: he's going to average 5 Assists per game next season assuming he plays = or > 34 MPG..His play making has taken a leap as the season progressed..

[TheDoctor]

I'm calling it: he's going to average 5 Assists per game next season assuming he plays = or > 34 MPG..His play making has taken a leap as the season progressed..

Shooters need to make their shots first.

[mystargtr34]

I think kawhi goes to 4+ assists next season which'll be enough to get that media 'makes his teamates better' hype.. put that with 25 ppg 6-7 Rebs and all world D I think he becomes the MVP front runner early on and has a good chance to win it

[Galileo]

Great one minute of video (starting at 4:31) showcasing Leonard's worth.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNt4O2X6E8Y&feature=youtu.be&t=4m31s

Anyone else notice how much Chuck and Westbrick look alike? I want to see a DNA test.