Underperforming performance is an understatement.
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Underperforming performance is an understatement.
He's cold, like everyone else on the team.
He's playing soft and looks to be overwhelmed out there..
He's cold and playing more minutes than he ever has before.
Not the star everyone was making him out to be. Just getting exposed for what he is.
He's lost all confidence in his jump shot and his FT shot
Doesn't even touch the ball for multiple possessions. Spurs just use him atrociously. I'm not gonna hate on his performance considering everyone else out there.
Seems like he lost all confidence and that 's reflecting on his D too. When was last time he hit a crucial 3?
:lol wtf
he's playing amazing D. Probably a little tired from chasing the best shooting 2 guard combo in NBA history.
We'd be fishing after tonight if not for Kawhi IMO
He is missing FTs simple as that and missed 3s but he is being aggressive to get to the line in the 1st place.
He is doing everything else, grabbing boards, playing D.
i haven't been impressed all playoffs long. he looks like a mid level role player out there. not that "4th member of the big 3"
He's 21-40 from the field, averaging 9 rebounders per game in the series, a steal per game and he has shut down Thompson since Pop switched assignments in game 3..he's not playing soft at all, his shot outside of the paint is just broken, tbh..Quote:
Originally Posted by dbreiden83080
his jumper is off right now thats it and thats all...he's doing everything else well tbh
:lol Leonard has spent the past 2 games chasing Thompson around through screens and all over the floor, while averaging 9 rebounds in the series..
His shot is broken, but other than Duncan and Green, he's the only player playing on both sides of the floor in this series, tbh..
Sophomore slump. Has ZERO confidence in his shot. But it's not just him, the entire team looks old, slow, and like they don't give a shit quite frankly outside of the big 3.
uh terrible post.... he took Klay out of the game completely.
But, but, he's about to break out.
Sincerely,
hater
As long as he's providing all that he is on D, I'll take it. But it would be nice if he could rediscover his shooting stroke very soon...
He is a role player. I don't know why people expect so much from him.Quote:
Originally Posted by sananspursfan21
Klay Thompson is 12-33 since Leonard made the switch..Leonard has done his job, tbh..
He's shooting 21-40 in the series, it's not like he's playing inefficiently..in case people haven't noticed, Leonard doesn't have plays that are designed for him, not sure what people are expecting, tbh..
Pop's system only allows the big 3 + Gary Neal to create, tbh..
Will be interesting to see if he can d him up on the home floor...so far, GS has played much better in S.A...not good for the spurs.
The missed tip jam sucked. While I think Kawhi will someday be the guy, CURRENTLY, his level of play isn't as high as Chicago's Jimmy Butler, another 2nd year player.
I clearly saw him making terrible decision in last possesion on D and O. Surely it's because his effort on D and for all minutes he has to provide, but i've more expectation for Kawabunga
Leonard has been playing great defense and has gotten big offense rebounds and finishes strong. He just has no confidence in his jumpshot because of Pop.
His poor shooting could be lack of confidence. He's also spending a lot of energy on defense. Whatever it is, he's clearly struggling, but he's still hustling.
Aside from that, it's discouraging to see Manu, TP and Duncan playing 3-on-5 and passing the ball among themselves when they're on the court together.
Leonard's playoff numbers have actually surpassed his regular season numbers by a substantial margin, tbh:lol..
People and critics trying to jam a triangle peg into a circle hole with saying something is wrong with Kawhi...
He`s not a power forward. Never has been. He was exposed on boards.
Spurs have to big. Smallball wont help on defense, since Warriors are jumpshoting team and it doesnt matter who`s guarding you, you can chunk jumper anytime you like. But Spurs had nobody to rebound missed shots.
They are playing Barnes as false PF, put Diaw on him and let him shoot. He was like 30% on jumpers...
Play high defense and let them shoot runners or floater over Duncan or Splitter.
His relentless on the offensive glass not just rebounds but keeping the ball alive has kept us know the series
Spurs stop running those mid posts for him for some reason
He makes that jumper 1 dribble to the lane off the post pretty easily and over most of defenders
Nah...just let Manu run around and jack up 3s that NOBODY expects to go in
Yep..Quote:
Originally Posted by still.focused
Leonard is missing on jump shots, but he's scoring very efficiently around the rim..
Pop's system only allows 4 players to create..the big 3 and Gary Neal..
Wow. You really don't watch the games, do you? :lmaoQuote:
Originally Posted by hater
Leonard is fine.
The only criticism i have from him is that fact that he's too much of a yes man to pop and lacks the assertiveness. Pop's system does not allow Leonard to create shots, it's just the way it is. He's done a great job guarding thomposon, and is the only other guy there outside of duncan that is rebounding the ball damn well. He is a second year SF averaging 14-10 in the second round of a competitive series while not having a single play called for him.
People compaling about Leonard and at the same time comaplain about the teams lack of rebounding. Try getting leonard out of the game..see what happens.
Again he's a second year SF averaging 14-10 in the second round of a competitive series. Stop Complaining.
Weakest strawman ever. How about putting Leonard at his natural position? You know, the one he played all season when the Spurs won all those games and grabbed all those rebounds?Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
Leonard is our most consistent player right now. He gassed like the rest of the team today and needs to shoot with more confidence but not much else wrong with his game.
Kawhi's better than Jimmy!Quote:
Originally Posted by Man In Black
Leonard didn't cost us the game but those missed FT's hurt. I don't expect him to hit corner 3's he's been inconsistent but he needs to stay in front of his man and fight through those picks.. Today looked like all the minutes were getting to him.
The one thing that we are also forgetting is that he's been battling that tendenitis or whatever in his knee and has yet to miss games in the playoffs or taken time off.. It might be affecting his shooting especially FTs when you gotta get your legs into it.
When did Leonard become coach?Quote:
Originally Posted by Obstructed_View
:lmao ObstructedQuote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
blaming Kawhi for not playing in his natural position
Well if he isn't a yes man then he'll end up like Stephen Jackson.Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
Nah, Sometimes you gotta grab the moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spurs21Fan4Ever
Parker and Ginobili.
Play within the system, but show more assertiveness. It be terrible if kawhi starts chucking but a little bit of aggressiveness and a couple more shots here in there and he'd be averaging 18-10. That's more than enough.
When you told me to take Leonard out of the game, didn't you make me the hypothetical coach? Do the rules not apply when I turn it back to you for your weak take?Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
Nah, Sometimes you gotta grab the moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spurs21Fan4Ever
Parker and Ginobili.
Play within the system, but show more assertiveness. It be terrible if kawhi starts chucking but a little bit of aggressiveness and a couple more shots here in there and he'd be averaging 18-10. That's more than enough.
I get the feeling Kawai is exhausted on the defensive end. I think Pop tasked him to put a majority of his energy in on the defensive end which might be costing him on the other.
:haterQuote:
Originally Posted by hater
Misunderstanding yet another exchange and piggybacking on someone else because you can't defend your own moronic takes.
not understanding that without Kawhi we'd be fishing by now :lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Obstructed_View
You're delusionalQuote:
Originally Posted by hater
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarrinS
Probably, but he's a kid -- he can take it. I used to watch an old man named Bruce expend a ton of energy on Mamba and still drain jump shots. Just sayin.Quote:
Originally Posted by $pursDynasty
your're assuming Leonard would do worse on rebounding on his natural position. He's still playing 3 most of the time, and his boards are largely hustle boards.Quote:
Originally Posted by Obstructed_View
Leonard has absolutely no control on what his role is on the team.
Again do I need to remind you guys he's averaging 14-10.
your're assuming Leonard would do worse on rebounding on his natural position. He's still playing 3 most of the time, and his boards are largely hustle boards.Quote:
Originally Posted by Obstructed_View
Leonard has absolutely no control on what his role is on the team.
Again do I need to remind you guys he's averaging 14-10.
lmao wtf are people talking about??
he's missing jump shots and free throws which is indicative of a shooting slump/fatigue or a combo, but besides that he's playing great. He's our leading rebounder and is averaging a double double for the series as a SF. Are people really expecting this guy to be a superstar by his 2nd season? If his shots were falling no one would say anything about his aggresiveness or anything like that
Agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by DarrinS
For the most part, He's just taking out of rhythm shots. I think he's confidence is low at this point.I think POP made a mistake for allowing to start taking 15-18 shots a game on stretches without parker and Manu, then reducing him to spot up and cutter. I know if i were a player, I'd lose a lot of confidence if that happens.
Agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by DarrinS
For the most part, He's just taking out of rhythm shots. I think he's confidence is low at this point.I think POP made a mistake for allowing to start taking 15-18 shots a game on stretches without parker and Manu, then reducing him to spot up and cutter. I know if i were a player, I'd lose a lot of confidence if that happens.
Not at all. He's still an elite rebounder. Imagine if Splitter and Duncan were next to him instead of Gary Neal and Duncan. One can complain about the team's lack of rebounding without impugning what Leonard has done in that regard.Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
Also, Leonard had two buckets that were assists from Splitter. If you wanted Leonard to do well, you should be yelling for more minutes form Splitter alongside me. Unless you think it's just a coincidence that the Spurs' offense grinds to a halt without Splitter for the fourth game in a row.
Not this game. His defensive rebounds were all off missed jumpers by the Warriors. He had three offensive rebounds, two on the missed dunk and the turnover, and one on a missed three by the Spurs which he put back. That's one hustle board that resulted in something positive for the team. Not sure why you wouldn't want his skills where they belong instead of him being out of position.Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
And I agree with you. You're the one who brought it up as though it were relevant.Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
Good numbers, and he's not shooting well, not making good decisions, and looks to be completely flustered on offense. Think about how good he can be if he gets it together.Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
Fuck the Kawhi haters.
It's not just Leonard. The team isn't really clicking offensively. It's bound to happen, hopefully game 5 at home.
:tuQuote:
Originally Posted by Budkin
our most consistent player in the series and of all the other things that are wrong with the team, we must focus on this :lmao
Pop unfortunately is doing what he has done the last few years, gone completely away from what worked throughout the entire series. That's only necessary under extreme injury situations, and a nightmare matchup, and the Spurs aren't under either scenario right now. Pop is panicking over nothing, and that's costing the Spurs this series. Pop just needs to stick to a rotation and stay with it, unless if there is no chance it works. Changing rotations in the playoffs is a horrible idea.
Also, Pop is messing with Kawhi too much. He gives him the green light, and he doesn't. When you give a young player the green light, then take it away when it matters most, of course his confidence will be shot.
You have highly creative players that aren't in phase mentally with players who have to be told where to be and when. This often results in a turnover. You also have people afraid to lose instead of trying to win. That results in second guessing on a drive like Splitter did last game when he was clear to the rim and just turned if over as he was trying to dump it off.
Basically it comes down to who's pushing the pace. The Warriors have for 3 of the 4 games.
Kawhi is a good finisher on the break. That's a valuable asset. He's not the 2nd coming of Jordan though like some here paint every new acquisition as being.
So where's the Issue? Looks to me the disagreements come from people expecting way to much out of a guy that's reduced by the system and people just happy enough of what he is doing regardless of what position he plays. That's not on Leonard.Quote:
Originally Posted by Obstructed_View
I wanted pop to stay with splitter til the 6 minute work since Duncan looked like he was on a personal vendetta which ultimtaly hurt the team. and With Duncan-Splitter Finishing the game after a couple of minutes rest from splitter.Quote:
Also, Leonard had two buckets that were assists from Splitter. If you wanted Leonard to do well, you should be yelling for more minutes form Splitter alongside me. Unless you think it's just a coincidence that the Spurs' offense grinds to a halt without Splitter for the fourth game in a row.
Not when your opposing teams is ganging up on the offensive board. Any Rebound in the defensive glass is a hustle. From positiong to boxing out to jumping to timing.Quote:
Not this game. His defensive rebounds were all off missed jumpers by the Warriors. He had three offensive rebounds, two on the missed dunk and the turnover, and one on a missed three by the Spurs which he put back. That's one hustle board that resulted in something positive for the team. Not sure why you wouldn't want his skills where they belong instead of him being out of position.
It was mostly directed to posters who complain about kawhi's lack of offensive production.Quote:
And I agree with you. You're the one who brought it up as though it were relevant
Again, disagreements because of difference in expectations. I love Kawhi. But Untill this team accepts the fact that he's got more than what he's being told to do, I wont complain.Quote:
Good numbers, and he's not shooting well, not making good decisions, and looks to be completely flustered on offense. Think about how good he can be if he gets it together.
Not absolutely sure, but kawhi pop allowed kawhi to take 15-18 shots a game on stretches without Manu and Parker. It spiked his confidence. It got spurs fan saying he can be a star. I know for a fact that when you get the kind of responsibility and then reduced to spot shooter and cutter offensively your confidence gets a hit.
I blame this both on kawhi but mostly on pop.
How sad is this fact?..Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
People have built Leonard up to superstar-in=the=making status. I don't think he will ever become a true superstar because he doesn't have the confidence and will to win that players who became superstars have shown by their sophomore year. He can't take charge of a game and put the team on his shoulders. To deify him and demand that he perform at that level is simply crazy.
He will be a good player but not necessarily a great player. He will be in the category of Sean, not Manu or Parker. In some respects, the Spurs system both hides his flaws and exploits his skills.
All this being said, he really needs to step up his contribution on offense to at least the level of the Warriors 4th best player.
Leonard is never going to be a superstar, that's not the point..
His ceiling is a high-end #3 guy on a title team..
Even if his ceiling was higher, he doesn't fit this current system in a star capacity..the Spurs system treats Kawhi Leonard as an equal player to Danny Green and Matt Bonner..the same way it treated Keith Bogans and Bruce Bowen..Leonard is much more talented than any of these players, but this system treats all role players equally..if you're a wing in this system, your offensive role is to sit on the baseline/wings and shoot 3s..
Leonard clearly doesn't excel as a spot-up shooter..his game is in the mid-post/baseline, facing up and attacking..he simply cannot do that in this system..there were many games this year where Leonard looked great when the Spurs ran plays for him, particularly when 1 or 2 of the big 3 was out..
Have you guys ever watched Paul George play basketball?..he can't create offense at all..his ball-handling is weak, he has no moves, etc..he's better than Kawhi because he's taller and a better shooter, but he has the same offensive flaws..he doesn't have restrictions in his system, though..same for Klay Thompson, Chandler Parsons, etc..
The issue is with what most of the people posted in the first page of the thread. He's missing shots, he's out of rhythm on offense, he's hanging his head, he's not aggressive, he doesn't look confident. You guys are pointing to the box score, the rest of us are pointing to what we see on the floor for most of this series. We all know he's a great player. Credit to him for his defense, and for producing, which means catching the rebounds that come right to him, but he's not playing well.Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
Regardless of where his ceiling is, HH, people are expecting him to be the guy that he was through most of the regular season. People with their noses in the box score making excuses for him are missing the fact that he's not that guy right now.
He's out of rhythm because he's talking out of rhythm shots. He's not aggressive because the system doesn't need him to be that aggressive. He doesn't look confident because he was averaging 14-17 shots a game when tony and manu was out and is not reduced to cutter and put backs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Obstructed_View
He's playing well enough considering the circumstances. He's also 21-40.
His Free throw and corner are struggling, ..But again, he's not talking those shots like he normally would in the the regular season.
I guess if he's not playing well, everyone's been total crap.
Kawhi is not an all-star level player yet, I dont understand why people want him to have flawless games every-time..His offense is okyish and he is consistant on D. That's kawhi leonard for you right now.
Against arguably the best defense in the NBA, and an all-star/all-NBA defender in Deng..not sure how you can relegate him to spot-up shooter and expect him to get hot, tbh..
Regular season usage rate:
Duncan: 27.8
Parker: 27.7
Ginobili: 25.2
Neal: 21.7
Splitter: 18.2
Joseph: 16.6
Green: 16.6
Leonard: 16.4
Playoffs:
Parker: 31.6
Ginobili: 27
Duncan: 26.7
Neal: 19.7
Leonard: 14.6
Splitter: 14.5
Green: 14.4
Joseph: 14.4
Leonard, in this system, is a spot-up shooter, like Danny Green..Green is an elite shooter that can't create or finish inside, this system is perfect for him..Leonard is an average shooter that excel in the mid-post and interior, this system doesn't compliment his offensive game..
How do you recreate the system in the middle of the season? I think the coaching stuff has put an effort into giving kawhi more responsiblity, they just dont trust him at this point.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
As much as i love Tony and Timmy as leaders for this team, I don't see them recognizing the offensive match-ups kawhi gets. Manu Does, but I think in this post season Tony and Timmy seems to have lost their passing abilities.
:bang @ Neal.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
Love pop, but god damn he's stubborn at times.
Aside of him being fatigued, playing elite defense on one of the best SF's in the NBA+Rebounding averaging 13 & 9 on 58% shooting in limited attempts, the guy isn't even healthy, do people not realize this?
He's had tendinitis in his knee, which has been bothering him more and more as the season has gone on. Tendinitis isn't just some normal injury, it will not go away until the offseason when he's doing nothing. This is the same injury that caused him to miss more than a month.
What he's doing is incredibly impressive.
Definitely trueQuote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
But what id like to see is the same kinda flexibility Pop eventually showed with TP
Once he gave TP the green light to be the 1 man fast break and explore early offense options TP started to maximize output
Im thinking on those delayed types of breaks where the 5 is usually last down court & usually catches at the top of the key and reverses the ball KY could already be setting up at midpost
If positioning is bad or the defense responds well he simply leaves the post and SA runs 1/2 court offense
Just like when TP cant get all the way to the rim
Don't really disagree with any of that, but its a bit late in the game to change the system to leverage Kawhi's obvious skill set. For now, he's going to have to settle for what the system allows him to do. Nothing preventing him from pump faking a 3 and driving for a short range jumper or all the way to the rim. Saw Danny Green do that at least once.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
Eh, I think Kawhi is playing okay. It would be nice if he could hit some open corner threes, but he's doing his job on D and on the glass. I don't overrate him like so many on this forum, so I think he's playing well and he's doing well on the break and on put-backs.
I'm thinking part of it must be his knees. In the highlight video above of his play against Chicago, watch his three pointer that he made. He got plenty of legs and arc on it. If you saw his three point shots today, you would've seen completely flat shots that were consistently short.
His inner scrub is rearing at the worst time possible.
And he's back, and the Spurs look dominant.
nothing. there is absolutely nothing wrong with kawhi leonard. :lol
7-8 from the field with 17 points, this guy is so underutilized its ridiculous.
thank you for making your 3s
spurs need you to hit a decent percentage especially from 3
one more time for this series, thanks!
Leonard's impact should not be measured by how much he scores but by how efficient he scores and how many rebounds he gets, silly people.
He's not a guy you can trust to go 1 on 1, but he plays best in a team offense...
He's an All-Star caliber glue guy at this point. Don't rush him.
Chip worked with him and he got over that mental hurdle.
He is young and inconsistent.
His D along with Green's have kept us in this particular matchup.
Every time he has the ball at the top, he's waiting for a screen, the bigs never step up, tbh..it's always Leonard waiting for Parker to run around a down screen so he can pass it to him..
Just give us a few Leonard/Duncan pick&rolls, Kawhi has the mid-range J all game..smh..
So glad to see him playing with confidence. Solid performance.
Kawhi has been hesitant on the offensive end, and it looked like his confidence was shot. Tonight he didn't show any signs of that, and he stepped into shots with confidence all night. It's no coincidence the shots started to fall. There were a couple of times he should have gone to the line for and-ones, but I think it was almost a blessing that he didn't. As it went, he finished feeling good with 7-8, with no negative thoughts. They'll need him in Game 6.
Kawhi plays better with good screeners in the game. Reaon number 1, 006 not to play Neal or Bonner.