Pop creating rotation players out of nothing

[RC_Drunkford]

Gotta give him credit. How many times has he done it? Forbes, Neal, Simmons, Splitter, etc. There are a bunch of rookies who, if they had been drafted by the Spurs, would've had an NBA carreer. Player development program is 2nd to none. Mute nephew would've never become the player that he is if he was drafted by another franchise.

[DAF86]

Kawhi would still be shooting soccer throw-ins if not for the Spurs. Fucking ungrateful bastard.

[duncan2k5]

Kawhi would still be shooting soccer throw-ins if not for the Spurs. Fucking ungrateful bastard.

There's a high chance Kawhi would have been great anywhere... U guys make it seem like spurs are the only team that drafts sleeper stars...

[John B]

Totally agree. But that’s also the disappointment of shortsighted players that Spurs are not bringing in Stars as help, or Stars not getting max contract because of the bigger picture. But that’s another discussion.

[Mr. Body]

There's a high chance Kawhi would have been great anywhere... U guys make it seem like spurs are the only team that drafts sleeper stars...

Kawhi would be Chris Singleton or at best Kenneth Faried with most franchises.

[daslicer]

There's a high chance Kawhi would have been great anywhere... U guys make it seem like spurs are the only team that drafts sleeper stars...

He would have been a taller and more stronger Tony Allen if the Spurs didn't draft him.

[FkLA]

There's a high chance Kawhi would have been great anywhere... U guys make it seem like spurs are the only team that drafts sleeper stars...

:lol

[RC_Drunkford]

There's a high chance Kawhi would have been great anywhere... U guys make it seem like spurs are the only team that drafts sleeper stars...

you're really in love with him I see

[313]

Or they could just bring in NBA players

[Mr. Body]

Dedmon. Johnathon Simmons.

You have to do it to stay under budget and find bargains. Brooklyn has done a great job of bargain hunting with guys like Dinwhiddie and LaVert.

[JeffDuncan]

Or they could just bring in NBA players

Radicals, always wanting to disrupt the system.....

[duncan2k5]

you're really in love with him I see

He was by far my favorite player... Spurs did him wrong, no doubt... Our FO has been doing a lot is silly stuff lately that even us called out.. So has pop... And to add insult to injury they coddled a guy who complained about touches even tho he choked in the playoffs... Then mishandle Kawhi's injury,imoly because they want to give Parker and ginobili one last hoorah at Kawhi's expense... And on top of that, imply to the media that he is faking... After he carried their sorry asses all year long... I'd be fucking pissed too

[RC_Drunkford]

He was by far my favorite player... Spurs did him wrong, no doubt... Our FO has been doing a lot is silly stuff lately that even us called out.. So has pop... And to add insult to injury they coddled a guy who complained about touches even tho he choked in the playoffs... Then mishandle Kawhi's injury,imoly because they want to give Parker and ginobili one last hoorah at Kawhi's expense... And on top of that, imply to the media that he is faking... After he carried their sorry asses all year long... I'd be fucking pissed too

At least he played and didn't sit out an entire year cause his uncle told him to. And actually went to Pop and talked to him instead of hiding from him in NY and not saying anything. Fuck Kawhi

[RD2191]

Kawhi would be Chris Singleton or at best Kenneth Faried with most franchises.

Lmao. Stop it. Kawhi would be great anywhere. If anything, Pop held him back. Maybe y'all don't remember but Mills used to take twice as many shots as Kawhi back in the day. He'd brick most of them as well. PATFO didn't make Kawhi, this nonsense needs to stop already.

[Hoops Czar]

There's a high chance Kawhi would have been great anywhere... U guys make it seem like spurs are the only team that drafts sleeper stars...

[Mr. Body]

Lmao. Stop it. Kawhi would be great anywhere. If anything, Pop held him back. Maybe y'all don't remember but Mills used to take twice as many shots as Kawhi back in the day. He'd brick most of them as well. PATFO didn't make Kawhi, this nonsense needs to stop already.

Held back? WTF, dude. He'd still be a Faried with no jump shot. A nice defender who is a complete nullity on the other end.

[Hoops Czar]

Kawhi would be Chris Singleton or at best Kenneth Faried with most franchises.

:lol Those tears are real. Get some help before you make a comment like this in public.

[Mr. Body]

:lol Those tears are real.

Of... Chris Singleton? Faried? Not getting your point.

[Hoops Czar]

Of... Chris Singleton? Faried? Not getting your point.
Acting like Leonard would be a role player outside the Spurs system.

[Mr. Body]

Acting like Leonard would be a role player outside the Spurs system.

Fascinating.

[Hoops Czar]

Fascinating.
That's like giving credit to OKC for developing Kevin Durant or the Bulls for developing Jimmy Butler or Biogenesis for developing Lebron James.

[RC_Drunkford]

Lmao. Stop it. Kawhi would be great anywhere. If anything, Pop held him back. Maybe y'all don't remember but Mills used to take twice as many shots as Kawhi back in the day. He'd brick most of them as well. PATFO didn't make Kawhi, this nonsense needs to stop already.

Of course they didn't make him. But they put him in the right development program and brought him along step by step to be the player he is today. First and foremost it's his work ethic and his supreme physical ability (hand size, frame, etc.) why he's that good. But PATFO really developed him into the superstar that he is today. Everybody who watched the Spurs knows that.

[Mr. Body]

That's like giving credit to OKC for developing Kevin Durant or the Bulls for developing Jimmy Butler or Biogenesis for developing Lebron James.

Nah.

[bklynspursfan]

He was by far my favorite player... Spurs did him wrong, no doubt... Our FO has been doing a lot is silly stuff lately that even us called out.. So has pop... And to add insult to injury they coddled a guy who complained about touches even tho he choked in the playoffs... Then mishandle Kawhi's injury,imoly because they want to give Parker and ginobili one last hoorah at Kawhi's expense... And on top of that, imply to the media that he is faking... After he carried their sorry asses all year long... I'd be fucking pissed too

And Kawhi did no wrong?

[JeffDuncan]

Of course they didn't make him. But they put him in the right development program and brought him along step by step to be the player he is today. First and foremost it's his work ethic and his supreme physical ability (hand size, frame, etc.) why he's that good. But PATFO really developed him into the superstar that he is today. Everybody who watched the Spurs knows that.

I'll bet I've watched the Spurs as much as you, and no we don't know that.

If PATFO are such wizards at development how come they've only been able to do it once? Why not Kyle Anderson? They sure as heck spent a lot of time and effort with him. Why isn't Patty Mills another Chris Paul after basking so long in the glory of PATFO?

Are you going to credit PATFO with Duncan, too? Ginobilli? Prime Parker?

Would all those guys have been no better than bench warmers if not for PATFO?

Spare me.

What the Spurs coaches did with Kawhi was exactly the same thing they're supposed to do with every single player they get. Because it's their job. They get paid for what they do, and very well I hope. But no, they don't get a medal for simply doing their jobs.

[exstatic]

Kawhi, in Charlotte, would have been MKG. MKG in SA would have been Kawhi. Physical gifts will only take you so far.

[K...]

I'll bet I've watched the Spurs as much as you, and no we don't know that.

If PATFO are such wizards at development how come they've only been able to do it once? Why not Kyle Anderson? They sure as heck spent a lot of time and effort with him. Why isn't Patty Mills another Chris Paul after basking so long in the glory of PATFO?

Are you going to credit PATFO with Duncan, too? Ginobilli? Prime Parker?

Would all those guys have been no better than bench warmers if not for PATFO?

Spare me.

What the Spurs coaches did with Kawhi was exactly the same thing they're supposed to do with every single player they get. Because it's their job. They get paid for what they do, and very well I hope. But no, they don't get a medal for simply doing their jobs.

they made KA a defender ? do you remember his college game? thats a great development

[baseline bum]

There's a high chance Kawhi would have been great anywhere... U guys make it seem like spurs are the only team that drafts sleeper stars...

They're the ones who have completely changed his shot. What other teams have a track record of changing horrific jump shots into major weapons like the Spurs did with both Kawhi and Tony Parker? He could have ended up like Fultz or Simmons with no jumper whatsoever. Leonard's jumper was complete dogshit coming into the league; DAF86's comparison of his jumper to soccer throw-ins isn't far from the truth.

[Spurs da champs]

That's like giving credit to OKC for developing Kevin Durant or the Bulls for developing Jimmy Butler or Biogenesis for developing Lebron James.

KD was already special. More relevant comparison aside from Butler would be Paul George.

[Spurs da champs]

Kawhi, in Charlotte, would have been MKG. MKG in SA would have been Kawhi. Physical gifts will only take you so far.

Kawhi's shot was never broken. MKG was a dead man's Shawn Marion, let's not be extreme here.

[FkLA]

Do you retards not remember Kawhitter's shooting form and offense in general coming out of college?

The autistic retard already had a great body, work ethic, and desire to be great but to suggest the Spurs didn't play a huge role in his development is laughable. Honestly, how many teams have the balls to do something as simple as going up to their 1st round draft pick and telling them "your form sucks, we are going fix it". Look at Gonzo with the Lakers. Or any other player with a terrible shooting form.

His postgame/fadeaway. Pop gave him tapes of guys like Kirby IIRC and had Forcier(?) tailor his workouts to that. Once the double teams came, he gave him tapes of Barkley to learn how to pass out of/read them. He and his agent wannabe unc are ungrateful fucks. Plain and simple. He'd be a fucking nobody if he ended up in Sacramento or Orlando or any of the other perennial bottom dwellers.

[Spurs da champs]

Comparing Kawhi to Faried, Singleton, and MKG is autistic. I do agree tho that Spurs helped Kawhi maximize his potential tho. Will always be salty for it ending the way it did, but let's not minimize the player he was for this team. We don't ring if not for him.

[james evans]

Kawhi would still be shooting soccer throw-ins if not for the Spurs. Fucking ungrateful bastard.
What happened to Kyle Anderson?

[james evans]

Kawhi's shot was never broken. MKG was a dead man's Shawn Marion, let's not be extreme here.

When people are angry they say dumb shit.

[The Closer]

Kawhi was been compared to tweeners coming out of college. Our Magic Shooting Coach Fixed his shot. And in the First year he just shot open threes, and slashing. That's it. Zero offense. He had a bruce bowen role his first 2 years. Then in his 3rd year he gets his shots not on lebron, and while the defense was still aimed at stopping parker in 2014. So zero offense until we won in 2014 last 3 games in which he was a total dud the first 2 games. And he doesn't get all that playoff experience in any other team. For 3 fucking years he was doing nothing but put backs and slashing. I just talked about a small portion of his beginnings. He wouldn't be where he is today without the Spurs. Facts.

[FkLA]

When people are angry they say dumb shit.
Didn't he shoot under 30% from the college 3PT line?

But yeah, there was nothing wrong with his shot. :rolleyes

[Mr. Body]

Comparing Kawhi to Faried, Singleton, and MKG is autistic. I do agree tho that Spurs helped Kawhi maximize his potential tho. Will always be salty for it ending the way it did, but let's not minimize the player he was for this team. We don't ring if not for him.

You don't know what autistic means, do you?

[DJR210]

I agree with everything except Splitter.. we're dealing with a 1st round pick with international experience with him. He should have been at least a rotation player

[Mr. Body]

Do you retards not remember Kawhitter's shooting form and offense in general coming out of college?

The autistic retard already had a great body, work ethic, and desire to be great but to suggest the Spurs didn't play a huge role in his development is laughable. Honestly, how many teams have the balls to do something as simple as going up to their 1st round draft pick and telling them "your form sucks, we are going fix it". Look at Gonzo with the Lakers. Or any other player with a terrible shooting form.

His postgame/fadeaway. Pop gave him tapes of guys like Kirby IIRC and had Forcier(?) tailor his workouts to that. Once the double teams came, he gave him tapes of Barkley to learn how to pass out of/read them. He and his agent wannabe unc are ungrateful fucks. Plain and simple. He'd be a fucking nobody if he ended up in Sacramento or Orlando or any of the other perennial bottom dwellers.

Yeah, those saying otherwise are just idiots. Kawhi had the best shot doctor maybe in league history. He'd never be close to the offensive threat he is now without the Spurs staff.

[Spurs da champs]

You don't know what autistic means, do you?

Mr Body is autistic, worst comparisons ever.

[Fusternino]

Kawhi brought the ball really far behind his head. He only could've become a great mid-range but not three-point shooter without Chip's help.

[Spurs da champs]

Without Spurs maybe he becomes a 2nd or 3rd tier star like Butler or George. Spurs helped make him top tier, I agree

[duncan2k5]

At least he played and didn't sit out an entire year cause his uncle told him to. And actually went to Pop and talked to him instead of hiding from him in NY and not saying anything. Fuck Kawhi

He talked to Pop because he had no choice... No one wanted him

[duncan2k5]

Held back? WTF, dude. He'd still be a Faried with no jump shot. A nice defender who is a complete nullity on the other end.

Spurs have the only shot trainers? No other team has players that improve on their jumper?

[FkLA]

Without Spurs maybe he becomes a 2nd or 3rd tier star like Butler or George. Spurs helped make him top tier, I agree

Depends. IMO, he'd be 2nd tier if drafted by an above average organization. 3rd tier if he had been drafted by an average organization. If drafted by Sacramento he'd be Harrison Barnes.

[duncan2k5]

They're the ones who have completely changed his shot. What other teams have a track record of changing horrific jump shots into major weapons like the Spurs did with both Kawhi and Tony Parker? He could have ended up like Fultz or Simmons with no jumper whatsoever. Leonard's jumper was complete dogshit coming into the league; DAF86's comparison of his jumper to soccer throw-ins isn't far from the truth.

R u serious? No other team has guys grow into great shooters?? U picked out two names in the past twenty years... And Parker was never a great shooter... He was just serviceable at best... U never had to go over the screens for Parker like u have to do for actual great shooters.. So if Kawhi was the ONLY person to exceed expectations with his skill level... Doesn't that tell u that it is Kawhi that made himself, and the Spurs only helped? Help that he would have gotten from any nba team? Spurs are very restrictive... They have much more busts than players they made great... And many times players have moved on to other teams and expanded their games... As I famously say... Curry would NEVER have been as good as he is now if drafted by the Spurs because Pop would neuter him and bench him the first time he pulled up from 40

[tonight...you]

Spurs have the only shot trainers? No other team has players that improve on their jumper?
Apparently not in Philly... they ruin guys, or OKC.

[FkLA]

R u serious? No other team has guys grow into great shooters??

Name some names.

[DAF86]

What happened to Kyle Anderson?

Some players' shots just can't be fixed, tbh.

I don't know why some Kawhi fans are getting so mad, what I'm saying about him isn't much of a secret, tbh.

Kawhi got drafted, Engelland told him to stop shooting it from behind his head, and that was it. Who knows if other teams would have dared to change his form. Who knows if other teams would have even played Kawhi since his rookie season. Remember that, for example, in Indiana Kawhi would have been behind George and Granger on the pecking order. Kawhi getting drafted by San Antonio is the best thing that could happen to him.

[boutons_deux]

He was by far my favorite player... Spurs did him wrong, no doubt...

do you have irrefutable evidence? or spurstalk gossip?

[Mr. Body]

Spurs have the only shot trainers? No other team has players that improve on their jumper?

Maybe a couple.

[baseline bum]

He was by far my favorite player... Spurs did him wrong, no doubt... Our FO has been doing a lot is silly stuff lately that even us called out.. So has pop... And to add insult to injury they coddled a guy who complained about touches even tho he choked in the playoffs... Then mishandle Kawhi's injury,imoly because they want to give Parker and ginobili one last hoorah at Kawhi's expense... And on top of that, imply to the media that he is faking... After he carried their sorry asses all year long... I'd be fucking pissed too

Are you fucking retarded? They gave Leonard and his camp complete control of his "rehab". If anyone mishandled the "injury" it was Leonard and his group since they're the ones who were in complete control since summer 2017.

[Hoops Czar]

Maybe a couple.
Kawhi would becone Chris Singleton, a career 4.1 ppg, 3.2 reb, .6 assists a game guy without the Spurs trainers? That's insulting.

[r0drig0lac]

Gotta give him credit. How many times has he done it? Forbes, Neal, Simmons, Splitter, etc. There are a bunch of rookies who, if they had been drafted by the Spurs, would've had an NBA carreer. Player development program is 2nd to none. Mute nephew would've never become the player that he is if he was drafted by another franchise.

wut?

[r0drig0lac]

Kawhi, in Charlotte, would have been MKG. MKG in SA would have been Kawhi. Physical gifts will only take you so far.

some of you really believe in this bullshit

[baseline bum]

R u serious? No other team has guys grow into great shooters?? U picked out two names in the past twenty years... And Parker was never a great shooter... He was just serviceable at best... U never had to go over the screens for Parker like u have to do for actual great shooters.. So if Kawhi was the ONLY person to exceed expectations with his skill level... Doesn't that tell u that it is Kawhi that made himself, and the Spurs only helped? Help that he would have gotten from any nba team? Spurs are very restrictive... They have much more busts than players they made great... And many times players have moved on to other teams and expanded their games... As I famously say... Curry would NEVER have been as good as he is now if drafted by the Spurs because Pop would neuter him and bench him the first time he pulled up from 40

Wow Spurs have drafted more busts than Hall of Famers. Profound insight. Because there are so many top 50 alltime players in each draft that they keep passing on.

[Mr. Body]

He'd be closer than to what he is now. Kenneth Faried is really the comparison. Or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. A player that's really hard to put on the court in many situations. I don't think you, among others, realize how the Spurs made Kawhi into the player he is now, making his perfidy just insulting.

[baseline bum]

some of you really believe in this bullshit

There is no doubt Kawhi would have been a monster player elsewhere, but he was on track to be more Ben Wallace than LeBron James. That jumper of his was horrendous and why he was regarded a 3/4 tweener coming out of San Diego State.

[daslicer]

When people are angry they say dumb shit.

:lol You must be very angry person since you tend to say stupid shit on the regular.

[exstatic]

some of you really believe in this bullshit

Absolutely. As bb stated, his shot was shit of he highest order. It was a flat catapult, launched from behind his head. They didn’t need much from him offensively. They could tear his shot down and rebuild it. Most teams wouldn’t have that luxury. The Spurs MAKE the time. That time that rookies spend in Austin? Part of that process.

[RC_Drunkford]

Do you retards not remember Kawhitter's shooting form and offense in general coming out of college?

The autistic retard already had a great body, work ethic, and desire to be great but to suggest the Spurs didn't play a huge role in his development is laughable. Honestly, how many teams have the balls to do something as simple as going up to their 1st round draft pick and telling them "your form sucks, we are going fix it". Look at Gonzo with the Lakers. Or any other player with a terrible shooting form.

His postgame/fadeaway. Pop gave him tapes of guys like Kirby IIRC and had Forcier(?) tailor his workouts to that. Once the double teams came, he gave him tapes of Barkley to learn how to pass out of/read them. He and his agent wannabe unc are ungrateful fucks. Plain and simple. He'd be a fucking nobody if he ended up in Sacramento or Orlando or any of the other perennial bottom dwellers.

this

[YGWHI]

Some players' shots just can't be fixed, tbh.

Because they aren't talented enough to change and fix their shots.

It's funny how people here talk about Kawhi's work ethic but ignore his talent.

I remember Chad Forcier saying that Kawhi was learning like a sponge, the staff showed Kawhi a move and he mastered it at the end of the practice.

[exstatic]

Players that weren’t mentioned: Malik Rose, picked up off of Charlottes scrap pile; Stephen Jackson, off of NJs scrap pile; Danny Green, off of Cleveland’s scrap pile.

[RC_Drunkford]

He talked to Pop because he had no choice... No one wanted him

the level of your retardness is really really high

[RC_Drunkford]

Because they aren't talented enough to change and fix their shots.

It's funny how people here talk about Kawhi's work ethic but ignore his talent.

I remember Chad Forcier saying that Kawhi was learning like a sponge, the staff showed Kawhi a move and he mastered it at the end of the practice.

He certainly is. But put Kawhi on the Orlando Magic or Phoenix Suns, shit put him on the Houston Rockets from his rookie year on, he wouldn't be as good as he is today. Pop even turned him into a clutch player. I remember when he called a 4 down iso-play for Kawhi to go against Aaron Gordon and Kawhi nailed the game winner. In the postgame interview he said "I just took a practice shot." Bet Pop told him to think of it like that. Kid used to be nervous clanking free throws. Spurs brought him along slowly. From Defensive stopper to 3-and-D to ball handler. The Spurs played a huge part in his development, that's a fact

[DAF86]

Because they aren't talented enough to change and fix their shots.

It's funny how people here talk about Kawhi's work ethic but ignore his talent.

I remember Chad Forcier saying that Kawhi was learning like a sponge, the staff showed Kawhi a move and he mastered it at the end of the practice.

For sure. Never said Kawhi wasn't talented or hardworking, tbh. I'm just saying that he needed a coaching stuff that guided all that talent and hardwork into the right path. Kawhi could have easily landed on a team that didn't care or didn't know how to fix his shot and his ceiling would have been greatly lowered. Kawhi owes the Spurs a whole lot.

[daslicer]

Some players' shots just can't be fixed, tbh.

I don't know why some Kawhi fans are getting so mad, what I'm saying about him isn't much of a secret, tbh.

Kawhi got drafted, Engelland told him to stop shooting it from behind his head, and that was it. Who knows if other teams would have dared to change his form. Who knows if other teams would have even played Kawhi since his rookie season. Remember that, for example, in Indiana Kawhi would have been behind George and Granger on the pecking order. Kawhi getting drafted by San Antonio is the best thing that could happen to him.

A lot of people don't factor in either that a lot of these coaches don't have the patience to develop a player. On the majority of bad teams it's feast or famine and these coaches want immediate results or they will bench you. A lot of coaches also tend to type caste players and don't allow them to go beyond their skill sets. I remember hearing Matt Barnes once say in an interview that when he was on the Sixers he would shoot a bunch of jump shots after practice. One day Coach Cheeks comes up to Matt after practice and says "I don't know why the fuck you bother to work on your jumpshot since I ain't going to allow you to take them during the game. You can't make shit."

Kawhi could very easily been in a Matt Barnes type of situation, and on a team that never could envision him as anything more beyond a defensive player. The Spurs had the vision for developing him into a 20 point scorer. Not even Kawhi believed he could be this good offensively. The Spurs coaching staff worked with him diligently and pushed him out of his comfort zone. Kawhi to his credit had the work ethic and talent to develop those skills but if he was on a bad team he probably never gets the guidance on how to acquire those offensive skills that he learned from the Spurs.

[YGWHI]

He'd be a fucking nobody if he ended up in Sacramento or Orlando or any of the other perennial bottom dwellers.

The people who though he woud be a nobody without Pop's system...I feel bad for them. It's so hard them to realize and deal with the fact that Kawhi can play great anywhere.

For the record, Kawhi had a low 3P% but his shot wasn't that ugly. Like Chip said "We all talked (as a staff). I felt his shot didn’t need a full makeover. With just a tune-up, he could become a very good shooter, if not great shooter.”

[RD2191]

Kawhi was the main reason the Spurs went to back to back Finals. He doesn't owe the Spurs shit tbh. And before some asshat brings up offensive stats, Kawhi was the one going toe to toe with the likes of KD and LBJ. Two of the greatest players in NBA history. The salt in here is getting ridiculous. Kawhi would've been great wherever he landed, you guys are acting like these players don't have access to other coaches in the off-season.

[The Closer]

Bumass Kawhi was getting his shit pushed by rick carlisle and a couple of guards. :lmao

[KDKSpurs24]

The people who though he woud be a nobody without Pop's system...I feel bad for them. It's so hard them to realize and deal with the fact that Kawhi can play great anywhere.

For the record, Kawhi had a low 3P% but his shot wasn't that ugly. Like Chip said "We all talked (as a staff). I felt his shot didn’t need a full makeover. With just a tune-up, he could become a very good shooter, if not great shooter.”
I was a huge Kawhi fan. But there’s something y’all have to remember. And I remember the article. When they were about to put Kawhi on a workout plan in his rookie year Chip first asked Kawhi “do you want to be good or do you want to be great?”. Guess what? Kawhi had to GO HOME and think about it before giving an answer. That says there’s a possibility Kawhi really never thought about being great. And then once he told Chip he wanted to try being great the process began. So who knows what would have happened on another team.

[RD2191]

If PATFO is so great why did Green suck the past couple of seasons? Dude went from stud to scrub. What about Mills? Maybe PATFO should fix that piece of shits shot.

[RD2191]

I was a huge Kawhi fan. But there’s something y’all have to remember. And I remember the article. When they were about to put Kawhi on a workout plan in his rookie year Chip first asked Kawhi “do you want to be good or do you want to be great?”. Guess what? Kawhi had to GO HOME and think about it before giving an answer. That says there’s a possibility Kawhi really never thought about being great. And then once he told Chip he wanted to try being great the process began. So who knows what would have happened on another team.

That's retarded. Kawhi has always stated he wants to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.

[Hoops Czar]

If PATFO is so great why did Green suck the past couple of seasons? Dude went from stud to scrub. What about Mills? Maybe PATFO should fix that piece of shits shot.
What about Murray?

[RC_Drunkford]

If PATFO is so great why did Green suck the past couple of seasons? Dude went from stud to scrub. What about Mills? Maybe PATFO should fix that piece of shits shot.

Greens NBA career would've ended 7 years ago if it wasn't for Pop

[daslicer]

Kawhi was the main reason the Spurs went to back to back Finals. He doesn't owe the Spurs shit tbh. And before some asshat brings up offensive stats, Kawhi was the one going toe to toe with the likes of KD and LBJ. Two of the greatest players in NBA history. The salt in here is getting ridiculous. Kawhi would've been great wherever he landed, you guys are acting like these players don't have access to other coaches in the off-season.

Kawhi was a guy who had pretty much accepted when he was drafted that he was just a good defensive player and nothing more. He was comfortable with just being a defensive player but the spurs pushed him to also be an offensive player. You can't assume some other team would have done the same or Kawhi would sought out coaches during the off-season to become one.

[RD2191]

Kawhi was a guy who had pretty much accepted when he was drafted that he was just a good defensive player and nothing more. He was comfortable with just being a defensive player but the spurs pushed him to also be an offensive player. You can't assume some other team would have done the same or Kawhi would sought out coaches during the off-season to become one.

And you know this how? You work for the Spurs? You know Kawhi?

[RD2191]

Greens NBA career would've ended 7 years ago if it wasn't for Pop

Well yeah, you got me there. :lol

[daslicer]

And you know this how? You work for the Spurs? You know Kawhi?

I know his Uncle. He told me all of this.

[YGWHI]

For sure. Never said Kawhi wasn't talented

Maybe you didn't but there 3 pages of people denying his talent.

He had the same coaching staff that the rest of Spurs' players in last TEN years. In a whole decade the team had only ONE Kawhi but no one wants to admit the reason why

[RD2191]

I mean don't get me wrong, PATFO does deserve some credit, they're still one of the best in the league, but this notion that they made Kawhi is nonsense, Kawhi would've been great anywhere.

[RD2191]

I know his Uncle. He told me all of this.

You should've fukin punched him for us. :lol

[KDKSpurs24]

That's retarded. Kawhi has always stated he wants to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.
I read the damn article. Go find it. I don’t feel like it. I remember what I read. He had to go home and think about it. I remember because it stood out to me and started laughing about that part with my brother.
I was still the biggest Kawhi fan so I am not just hating.

[Hoops Czar]

Greens NBA career would've ended 7 years ago if it wasn't for Pop
Mills career would have ended four years ago if it wasn't for the Spurs.

[RC_Drunkford]

I mean don't get me wrong, PATFO does deserve some credit, they're still one of the best in the league, but this notion that they made Kawhi is nonsense, Kawhi would've been great anywhere.

Nobody said they made Kawhi. But they put him on the right track and gave him a plan to accelarate his development. Put him on a team with Westbrook and he doesn't get the shots nor the usage rate. Remember Pop going crazy yelling at Parker from the sidelines to give Kawhi the ball? Remember Kawhi saying "thank you for pushing me". I guarantee you a lot of this stuff doesn't happen when he plays for the NY Knicks. Would he still be the best perimeter defender of the league? Probably. Would he be able to average 20? Probably. But I don't think he would be that dominant and unstoppable on offense. Not MVP level

[RC_Drunkford]

Mills career would have ended four years ago if it wasn't for the Spurs.

Pop giveth, Pop taketh away

[Kobe'sAchilles]

Kawhi shot 25% from 3 in college. That's a fact. Anybody saying he was a good shooter coming out of college is talking out of their behind. Chip showed Kawhi what was wrong with his shot and how to fix it. That's also a fact. Lots of guys never learn how to shoot the ball. Westbrook and Roberson. John wall. Dwight. Derrick Rose. Ricky Rubio. Demar cant shoot 3s. Etc etc. So to just say that he automatically would have learned how to shoot when that was his biggest weakness is bullshit. I dont have to like a player to respect his game but Kawhi out of college was like Tony Allen (another player who worked hard yet never learned how to shoot). You idiots act like Kawhi is the only player that works hard. To his credit he did learn how to he a great shooter and that was hard work and effort on his part but the Spurs were certainly the reason why he is what he is today. You gave a master craftsman time to create a masterpiece and the Spurs did. You ask why they didn't do it with anyone else? A) they havent had a lottery pick since Duncan so that's a big reason why. Talent is still needed. And B) 6 foot 7 human beings with freakish long arms, good athleticism, and huge hands dont grow on trees.

[YGWHI]

That says there’s a possibility Kawhi really never thought about being great.
Because it took him a day to give an answer?

That was the difference between Kawhi and any other rookie. Any kid would have said "yes" instantly but he took his time before answering the question. He knew what that meant, the responsibility of greatness and a life-changing decision.

[The Closer]

Because it took him a day to give an answer?

That was the difference between Kawhi and any other rookie. Any kid would have said "yes" instantly but he took his time before answering the question. He knew what that meant, the responsibility of greatness and a life-changing decision.

What? :lmao

[daslicer]

Because it took him a day to give an answer?

That was the difference between Kawhi and any other rookie. Any kid would have said "yes" instantly but he took his time before answering the question. He knew what that meant, the responsibility of greatness and a life-changing decision.

:lmao Wow I didn't know Kawhi was Spiderman or Superman.

[james evans]

:lol You must be very angry person since you tend to say stupid shit on the regular.
Just don't get ghost when I'm in your city. Cuz I want you to do everything you said you were gonna do. 4 hours away. I haven't been there since last year. Just be the same way you are online..

[YGWHI]

What? :lmao

If you wanna ignore there is a difference between a good player and a top 3/5 player in terms of responsibility on team's success and how it affects his private life...I can't help.

[The Closer]

If you wanna ignore there is a difference between a good player and a top 3/5 player in terms of responsibility on team's success and how it affects his private life...I can't help.

If you think I need more than 1 second to respond to that you've gotta be a fucking autist tbh. :lmao

Says more about kawhitter's weak heart. :lol

[skin27]

Thanks to pop tbh

[daslicer]

Just don't get ghost when I'm in your city. Cuz I want you to do everything you said you were gonna do. 4 hours away. I haven't been there since last year. Just be the same way you are online..

Let me know when you are in town. We'll have a great time.

[YGWHI]

He certainly is. But put Kawhi on the Orlando Magic or Phoenix Suns, shit put him on the Houston Rockets from his rookie year on, he wouldn't be as good as he is today. Pop even turned him into a clutch player. I remember when he called a 4 down iso-play for Kawhi to go against Aaron Gordon and Kawhi nailed the game winner. In the postgame interview he said "I just took a practice shot." Bet Pop told him to think of it like that. Kid used to be nervous clanking free throws. Spurs brought him along slowly. From Defensive stopper to 3-and-D to ball handler. The Spurs played a huge part in his development, that's a fact

If you think the Spurs are the only team that practice shots to close quarters/games...

Also, I love how some of you guys act like our team is the only one that can develop players. I would say GS was and is doing a pretty good job, Boston, Toronto, Utah, even Philly too.

[RC_Drunkford]

If you think the Spurs are the only team that practice shots to close quarters/games...

Also, I love how some of you guys act like our team is the only one that can develop players. I would say GS was and is doing a pretty good job, Boston, Toronto, Utah, even Philly too.

I never said that. But Spurs player development department is league wide recognized as the best in the entire NBA.

[YGWHI]

If you think I need more than 1 second to respond to that you've gotta be a fucking autist tbh. :lmao

Says more about kawhitter's weak heart. :lol

Like I've said any other insignificant guy would have done it... But if I were a coach I would pick the kid who gives me a serious answer pver the one who does it without thinking about the implications of his decision.

[The Closer]

Like I've said any other insignificant guy would have done it... But if I were a coach I would pick the kid who gives me a serious answer pver the one who does it without thinking about the implications of his decision.

Implying that having the Heart to Answer on the spot is small thinking. :lmao

[gospursgojas]

Kawhi, in Charlotte, would have been MKG. MKG in SA would have been Kawhi.

[diego]

Maybe you didn't but there 3 pages of people denying his talent.

He had the same coaching staff that the rest of Spurs' players in last TEN years. In a whole decade the team had only ONE Kawhi but no one wants to admit the reason why

what are you babbling about? This thread is full of examples of other players the spurs helped (malik rose, danny green, neal, forbes, simmons..) either by improving one of their basic skills, giving them an advantageous role other teams didnt think to give them before, instilling more confidence in them when others didnt. Not everyone can be turned into a great player. there are different measures of greatness too. The spurs consistently getting productive players from the 25-60 range of the draft / undrafted / overseas / waived players is a constant of PATFO. if anyone else thought kawhi would be as good as he turned out to be after 5 years of the spurs transfoming his game, they would have offered more than george hill or picked him before bismack freaking biyombo.

[jmard5]

He was by far my favorite player... Spurs did him wrong, no doubt... Our FO has been doing a lot is silly stuff lately that even us called out.. So has pop... And to add insult to injury they coddled a guy who complained about touches even tho he choked in the playoffs... Then mishandle Kawhi's injury,imoly because they want to give Parker and ginobili one last hoorah at Kawhi's expense... And on top of that, imply to the media that he is faking... After he carried their sorry asses all year long... I'd be fucking pissed too

The Spurs didn't mishandle his injury. That was just an excuse by uncle to get out of S.A.

[YGWHI]

Not everyone can be turned into a great player.
I wonder why. Reading this thread it seems like talent has nothing to do with...

[FireMicoHalili]

why can't it have been the Spurs picking the guy with the right attitude, and that same guy putting in the extra work to become great? I'm sure the Spurs took into consideration his work ethic drafting him back then. If you watched his highlight videos back then it's so obvious how much of his shot has changed. Kawhi had a great post game and a rebounding prowess even before the Spurs drafted him, and they made him a triple threat by fixing his shot. He's not a system player but at the same time neither did he become the player he is today without the Spurs' staff. Leonard had the benefit of growing under established veterans who had championship experience. Not a lot of talented rookies grow under the same environment. It's all speculative whether he would have done as poorly as Singleton in Washington but given the Spurs' track record of developing players, the Spurs played no small role in his development.

[K...]

So weird that a thread about "rotation players" became about Kawhi. Player fans be like that though.

[HarlemHeat37]

I don't think anybody would deny that the Spurs USED TO BE the standard for NBA excellence across the board.. it's almost 2019, though, the Spurs haven't been innovative or ahead of the game in a loooong time :lol

[FireMicoHalili]

I don't think anybody would deny that the Spurs USED TO BE the standard for NBA excellence across the board.. it's almost 2019, though, the Spurs haven't been innovative or ahead of the game in a loooong time :lol
somehow agree with this. To be fair to them they hired guys for analytics (Kirk Goldsberry, who recently just returned to writing) but are still somehow averse to playing small ball. They're rightfully taking the heat for signing plodders and small point guards to albatross contracts as well as investing on mid-range volume scorers. Given the limitations of the market, the city, and their annual late picks, they've done fairly well for a team with limited resources. One can only surmise what the Spurs can do with pockets as deep as the Lakers or the Knicks.

Teams are still considering poaching coaches off Popovich's slew of assistants, and with good reason.

[FkLA]

The people who though he woud be a nobody without Pop's system...I feel bad for them. It's so hard them to realize and deal with the fact that Kawhi can play great anywhere.

For the record, Kawhi had a low 3P% but his shot wasn't that ugly. Like Chip said "We all talked (as a staff). I felt his shot didn’t need a full makeover. With just a tune-up, he could become a very good shooter, if not great shooter.”

Nobody has ever said he'd be nobody without Pop's system this year. At this point, he's a finished product (or pretty damn close to it). We are talking about when he came out of college. He was raw af and nobody, not even you or any of his most loyal ball gurglers, could've said with certainty then that he'd turn into the offensive player he is today.

He gets drafted by an organization that doesn't provide the guidance and has the player development the Spurs do and who know if he ever becomes more than a 3&D guy.

[WallyTiger]

I know his Uncle. He told me all of this.
Really？:reading

[venitian navigator]

you are not drafted at 15 after being considered in the top 5 if scouting hasn't detected some obvious weaknesses...that's what happened with Kiwi.
Even Indiana, that at the time was full of sf, would not have drafted him if the pick wasn't traded to us.
At the time then trade was considerd fair (Bertans and Lorbeck were both given to us with Kiwi for G. Hill).
Spurs scouted well, decided to give him a role from the beginning, fixed his weaknesses, developed him in the best way possible, gave him a winning colture and all the love he needed making him a finals mvp in little time.
He would have been the same player of today without Spurs? its a very very big maybe.
But for sure the actual outcome is that with us he become the top 3 player that he is now.
The only thing he should have been to Spurs is grateful, at least...instead he (better his group) faked an injury just to get traded at the first chance he had, probably just because he (again, maybe better his group) felt disrespected because Spurs tried, for the benefit of the team and for having a chance to compete for the title for some years, to make LMA buy in the franchise giving him a more prominent role (and LMA buyed in signing a longer deal).
So selfish and ungrateful is the minimum you can call him, but more appropriate is fraud and traitor...

[azarel]

you are not drafted at 15 after being considered in the top 5 if scouting hasn't detected some obvious weaknesses...that's what happened with Kiwi.
Even Indiana, that at the time was full of sf, would not have drafted him if the pick wasn't traded to us.
At the time then trade was considerd fair (Bertans and Lorbeck were both given to us with Kiwi for G. Hill).
Spurs scouted well, decided to give him a role from the beginning, fixed his weaknesses, developed him in the best way possible, gave him a winning colture and all the love he needed making him a finals mvp in little time.
He would have been the same player of today without Spurs? its a very very big maybe.
But for sure the actual outcome is that with us he become the top 3 player that he is now.
The only thing he should have been to Spurs is grateful, at least...instead he (better his group) faked an injury just to get traded at the first chance he had, probably just because he (again, maybe better his group) felt disrespected because Spurs tried, for the benefit of the team and for having a chance to compete for the title for some years, to make LMA buy in the franchise giving him a more prominent role (and LMA buyed in signing a longer deal).
So selfish and ungrateful is the minimum you can call him, but more appropriate is fraud and traitor...

just to add, its very hard to say whether kawhi will get the same level of development with other teams if he was drafted by others... yes every team have their own set of coaches/trainers for player development, however these resources are finite and its hard to argue that other clubs will be willing to put in equivalent resources/time/patience to develop Kawhi had he been drafted by other teams instead of the spurs. The level of dedication that Spurs has put into developing Kawhi's game allowed him to maximize his full potential, which is something which other clubs might not be willing to do so as he was never as scouted as a 'potential top player'...

[anonymouse]

Yeah and most of them sucked when they went to other teams so def truth to that. Hope the curse goes to KL as well.

[SouthTexasRancher]

Kawhi would still be shooting soccer throw-ins if not for the Spurs. Fucking ungrateful bastard.

Well said...spot on!

[PublicOption]

All this is bullshit....mute nephew is a piece of garbage...

[RC_Drunkford]

I don't think anybody would deny that the Spurs USED TO BE the standard for NBA excellence across the board.. it's almost 2019, though, the Spurs haven't been innovative or ahead of the game in a loooong time :lol

to be fair plenty of Spurs staffers work in other franchises accross the NBA. Monty Williams, Mike Budenholzer, Quinn Snyder, James Borrego, Chad Forcier and so on, just to name a few. Kinda hard to stay ahead of everybody else when your top staff members bring that coporate knowledge to 50% of the teams you're competing with

[exstatic]

to be fair plenty of Spurs staffers work in other franchises accross the NBA. Monty Williams, Mike Budenholzer, Quinn Snyder, James Borrego, Chad Forcier and so on, just to name a few. Kinda hard to stay ahead of everybody else when your top staff members bring that coporate knowledge to 50% of the teams you're competing with

The interesting thing is that Phil Jackson, lauded and lionized by the media, never built such a coaching or organization tree.

[r0drig0lac]

Kawhi was the main reason the Spurs went to back to back Finals. He doesn't owe the Spurs shit tbh. And before some asshat brings up offensive stats, Kawhi was the one going toe to toe with the likes of KD and LBJ. Two of the greatest players in NBA history. The salt in here is getting ridiculous. Kawhi would've been great wherever he landed, you guys are acting like these players don't have access to other coaches in the off-season.

well, Kawhi is one of the best 2-way players in nba history, it's normal.

[manufan10]

"Leonard's 0.889 points per possession overall ranks third worst of the 17 wings we evaluated, and his adjusted field goal percentage of 46.3% ranks dead last, a strong illustration of his scoring woes.

In the half-court, Leonard ranks seventh of all wings in the percentage of his possessions coming from isolations, at 15%. His .721 PPP on these possessions ranks 15th, indicating that he struggled to create shots effectively for himself last season. He was unable to get to the free throw line consistently (11.3%, 12th) for many of these same reasons, and did not finish around the basket at a high rate, where his 1.069 PPS ranked 13th.


His lack of tremendous situational efficiency stems from the fact that there are a number of holes in his game that he'll need to work on, especially out on the perimeter. Leonard's most notable weakness is his lack of jump shooting ability. Connecting on just 32% of his catch and shoot jumpers and 28% of his pull-ups last season, the sophomore struggled with his consistency from range. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Kawhi-Leonard-5821/ ©DraftExpress

there are questions about Leonard's ability to develop a reliable jump shot. While there is some merit to that stereotype, if will be necessary for Leonard to continue honing that part of his game to the greatest extent possible. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Kawhi-Leonard-5821/ ©DraftExpress

[313]

kawhi shot 49/37% his first year. If all it took was a few months in the gym by himself (lockout season) then it’s safe to assume he would have done the same anywhere.

:lol PATFO relegating him to corner 3s for his first three seasons
:lol prioritizing everyone from LMA to Patty Mills over him and expecting him to stay

[RD2191]

kawhi shot 49/37% his first year. If all it took was a few months in the gym by himself (lockout season) then it’s safe to assume he would have done the same anywhere.

:lol PATFO relegating him to corner 3s for his first three seasons
:lol prioritizing everyone from LMA to Patty Mills over him and expecting him to stay

Truth nuke tbh

[RC_Drunkford]

"Leonard's 0.889 points per possession overall ranks third worst of the 17 wings we evaluated, and his adjusted field goal percentage of 46.3% ranks dead last, a strong illustration of his scoring woes.

In the half-court, Leonard ranks seventh of all wings in the percentage of his possessions coming from isolations, at 15%. His .721 PPP on these possessions ranks 15th, indicating that he struggled to create shots effectively for himself last season. He was unable to get to the free throw line consistently (11.3%, 12th) for many of these same reasons, and did not finish around the basket at a high rate, where his 1.069 PPS ranked 13th.


His lack of tremendous situational efficiency stems from the fact that there are a number of holes in his game that he'll need to work on, especially out on the perimeter. Leonard's most notable weakness is his lack of jump shooting ability. Connecting on just 32% of his catch and shoot jumpers and 28% of his pull-ups last season, the sophomore struggled with his consistency from range. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Kawhi-Leonard-5821/ ©DraftExpress

there are questions about Leonard's ability to develop a reliable jump shot. While there is some merit to that stereotype, if will be necessary for Leonard to continue honing that part of his game to the greatest extent possible. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Kawhi-Leonard-5821/ ©DraftExpress




I totally forgot about Pop and especially Tim Duncan telling Kawhi he needs to draw more fouls to get to the line

[FkLA]

kawhi shot 49/37% his first year. If all it took was a few months in the gym by himself (lockout season) then it’s safe to assume he would have done the same anywhere.

:lol PATFO relegating him to corner 3s for his first three seasons
:lol prioritizing everyone from LMA to Patty Mills over him and expecting him to stay

He had 19 years prior to being drafted by the Spurs to change his shooting form and never did it, tbh.

[azarel]

kawhi shot 49/37% his first year. If all it took was a few months in the gym by himself (lockout season) then it’s safe to assume he would have done the same anywhere.

:lol PATFO relegating him to corner 3s for his first three seasons
:lol prioritizing everyone from LMA to Patty Mills over him and expecting him to stay

didn't the coaching stuff gave kawhi detailed training plans for him to work on during the lockout period? you think he could fix his own shot in a matter of few months by himself after 19 years shooting the ball as though its a soccer ball?

[313]

Any NBA team's training staff would have been an immense upgrade over whoever he worked with prior to being drafted, so no it's not a surprise he hadn't corrected it til that point lol

I'm not completely discrediting the Spurs coaching staff, but even Pop(et al in the spurs org) lauded Kawhi for his otherworldly(probably autistic) work ethic over the years.

There was quote from Bonner a couple years back where he basically said he's never seen anyone get to that stage in their basketball life and develop a jumpshot like that. Obviously credit to the trainers, but Kawhi's rapid development was more unique to him than to the trainers.

[Kawhitstorm]

Kawhi would still be shooting soccer throw-ins if not for the Spurs. Fucking ungrateful bastard.

Giannis would still be mopping floors if not for ShittyFO:dramaquee

[Kawhitstorm]

For sure. Never said Kawhi wasn't talented or hardworking, tbh. I'm just saying that he needed a coaching stuff that guided all that talent and hardwork into the right path. Kawhi could have easily landed on a team that didn't care or didn't know how to fix his shot and his ceiling would have been greatly lowered. Kawhi owes the Spurs a whole lot.

Jimmy Butler wept 15 picks later:cry

[John B]

Watch how Spurs make Demar MVP candidate

[J_Paco]

Lmao. Stop it. Kawhi would be great anywhere. If anything, Pop held him back. Maybe y'all don't remember but Mills used to take twice as many shots as Kawhi back in the day. He'd brick most of them as well. PATFO didn't make Kawhi, this nonsense needs to stop already.

Yes, because I see so many shooting coaches fixing non - shooters shots throughout the league. Kidd-Gilchrist, Stanley Johnson, Justise Winslow, Dante Exum are really killing it from the outside.....

[J_Paco]

That's like giving credit to OKC for developing Kevin Durant or the Bulls for developing Jimmy Butler or Biogenesis for developing Lebron James. Two of those examples are individuals that are far and away more naturally gifted than 99.99% of the world's population, while guys like Kawhi & Butler needed to be developed and "built up." Neither came in a ready made superstar ala LeBron and Durant, moron.

[TimmyBuckets]

This is a joke right? Shooting form and development aside, Pop literally punched nephew in the chest and pretty much ordered him to take on a bigger role. Without someone telling kawhitter what to do, he wouldn't be able to tie his shoes in the morning. He clearly came in physically gifted defensively and was a worker, but he doesn't have a mind of his own. There were a lot of better athletes and players out there who didn't amount to anything.

[r0drig0lac]

Any NBA team's training staff would have been an immense upgrade over whoever he worked with prior to being drafted, so no it's not a surprise he hadn't corrected it til that point lol

I'm not completely discrediting the Spurs coaching staff, but even Pop(et al in the spurs org) lauded Kawhi for his otherworldly(probably autistic) work ethic over the years.

There was quote from Bonner a couple years back where he basically said he's never seen anyone get to that stage in their basketball life and develop a jumpshot like that. Obviously credit to the trainers, but Kawhi's rapid development was more unique to him than to the trainers.

I really believe this helped him.

[rastaspur]

He was by far my favorite player... Spurs did him wrong, no doubt... Our FO has been doing a lot is silly stuff lately that even us called out.. So has pop... And to add insult to injury they coddled a guy who complained about touches even tho he choked in the playoffs... Then mishandle Kawhi's injury,imoly because they want to give Parker and ginobili one last hoorah at Kawhi's expense... And on top of that, imply to the media that he is faking... After he carried their sorry asses all year long... I'd be fucking pissed too

Fake news.

You should become a raptors fan and gtfo

[Hoops Czar]

Two of those examples are individuals that are far and away more naturally gifted than 99.99% of the world's population, while guys like Kawhi & Butler needed to be developed and "built up." Neither came in a ready made superstar ala LeBron and Durant, moron.

From one moron to another, I shouldn't have to tell you that Kevin Durant's first year with the Sonics saw him shoot 43 FG%, 28% from three and a TS% of 52%. As a matter of fact, He didn't shoot above 50% from the field until his sixth season. Lebron James shot 42%, 29% from three and a TS% of 49% his rookie season. By comparison, Kawhi Leonard shot 49% from the field, 37% from three and a TS% of 57% b-b-but he couldn't shoot.

Leonard was a great athlete coming out of college who just needed time to grow. Maybe he didn't have the physical attributes, the persona or the hype that surrounded Durant and James, but he did have all the tools to be great. However, to think that Leonard couldn't be coached up to be great with another organization is foolishness, ignorance and arrogance. It makes you sound small minded and stupid.

[Seventyniner]

He was by far my favorite player... Spurs did him wrong, no doubt... Our FO has been doing a lot is silly stuff lately that even us called out.. So has pop... And to add insult to injury they coddled a guy who complained about touches even tho he choked in the playoffs... Then mishandle Kawhi's injury,imoly because they want to give Parker and ginobili one last hoorah at Kawhi's expense... And on top of that, imply to the media that he is faking... After he carried their sorry asses all year long... I'd be fucking pissed too

I would also be pissed.....if anything you said was even remotely true. But it isn't, so I'm not.

[Mirrornick]

Every thread I click on, it has Kawhi Leonard as the main topic LOOOOL.

[diego]

Comparing LeBron and Kevin Durant, best players on their teams as rookies with superstar usage and shot attempts to Leonard who didn't get near those usage / fga rates till his sixth season (because until then he was not the best player on his team) :lol

[weebo]

Honestly, how many of us knew Leonard would have turned out to be a top 2-3 NBA level talent? I know I didn't. There's a reason he was picked 15th.

[J_Paco]

From one moron to another, I shouldn't have to tell you that Kevin Durant's first year with the Sonics saw him shoot 43 FG%, 28% from three and a TS% of 52%. As a matter of fact, He didn't shoot above 50% from the field until his sixth season. Lebron James shot 42%, 29% from three and a TS% of 49% his rookie season. By comparison, Kawhi Leonard shot 49% from the field, 37% from three and a TS% of 57% b-b-but he couldn't shoot.

Leonard was a great athlete coming out of college who just needed time to grow. Maybe he didn't have the physical attributes, the persona or the hype that surrounded Durant and James, but he did have all the tools to be great. However, to think that Leonard couldn't be coached up to be great with another organization is foolishness, ignorance and arrogance. It makes you sound small minded and stupid.

You are moron plain and simple. Only an idiot would compare rookie LeBron/Durant to rookie Leonard.

He wasn't a "great" athlete but has freakish/tremendous physical tools and great defensive instincts. That is what got him drafted and then the Spurs (and their development staff) cultivated his growth offensively.

[r0drig0lac]

Honestly, how many of us knew Leonard would have turned out to be a top 2-3 NBA level talent? I know I didn't. There's a reason he was picked 15th.

Kawhi I do not know, but I would have picked Giannis in first (2013) for sure (and I still think it's stupid that so many teams have not seen that he was miles better than any player in that draft)

[exstatic]

Kawhi I do not know, but I would have picked Giannis in first (2013) for sure (and I still think it's stupid that so many teams have not seen that he was miles better than any player in that draft)

Foreign players are much harder to project. I think after Darko, teams really shied away from using extremely high picks on overseas players. With Giannis , you would have been drafting based solely on raw physical attributes. If you pass, you are one of a number of teams that missed. If you pick him, and he busts, you can lose your job.

[Hoops Czar]

You are moron plain and simple. Only an idiot would compare rookie LeBron/Durant to rookie Leonard.

He wasn't a "great" athlete but has freakish/tremendous physical tools and great defensive instincts. That is what got him drafted and then the Spurs (and their development staff) cultivated his growth offensively.


I am going to say this again so even the most naive, pin headed simpleton can understand..... Believing that Leonard couldn't be coached up to be a great player with another organization is beinbg flatout, ignorant, arrogant and idiotic. It makes you sound small minded and stupid. The Spurs didn't invent the wheel on NBA development.

Leonard was a great athlete who needed to harness his physical tools to be a great player. He was a raw specimen. No, he isn't going to jump out of the gym with his athletic ability but he is far superior to most. Athleticism isn't a teachable skill and you don't become a two time DPOY by having two left feet.

[weebo]

I am going to say this again so even the most naive, pin headed simpleton can understand..... Believing that Leonard couldn't be coached up to be a great player with another organization is beinbg flatout, ignorant, arrogant and idiotic. It makes you sound small minded and stupid. The Spurs didn't invent the wheel on NBA development.

Leonard was a great athlete who needed to harness his physical tools to be a great player. He was a raw specimen. No, he isn't going to jump out of the gym with his athletic ability but he is far superior to most. Athleticism isn't a teachable skill and you don't become a two time DPOY by having two left feet.

Leonard was given the time and opportunity to develop into what he has become under Pop/staff tutelage. Could he have been this good somewhere else? Sure, but we don't know that for a fact. Everybody wants to give Duncan all the credit for the Spurs success but it wasn't all him--the parts that made up his team were also great--there's plenty of examples of fringe NBA players becoming solid NBA players/ solid NBA players becoming all stars under Pop.

[offset formation]

What happened to Kyle Anderson?

Ask MemphisGirl.

[offset formation]

He had 19 years prior to being drafted by the Spurs to change his shooting form and never did it, tbh.

Tbh.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Do you retards not remember Kawhitter's shooting form and offense in general coming out of college?

The autistic retard already had a great body, work ethic, and desire to be great but to suggest the Spurs didn't play a huge role in his development is laughable. Honestly, how many teams have the balls to do something as simple as going up to their 1st round draft pick and telling them "your form sucks, we are going fix it". Look at Gonzo with the Lakers. Or any other player with a terrible shooting form.

His postgame/fadeaway. Pop gave him tapes of guys like Kirby IIRC and had Forcier(?) tailor his workouts to that. Once the double teams came, he gave him tapes of Barkley to learn how to pass out of/read them. He and his agent wannabe unc are ungrateful fucks. Plain and simple. He'd be a fucking nobody if he ended up in Sacramento or Orlando or any of the other perennial bottom dwellers.

I remember Kawhi being just a pretty standard player when the Spurs took him