To get to the next level offensively.
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To get to the next level offensively.
free throw shooting
Whatever it is, he'll be on it.
Please don't.Quote:
Originally Posted by lmbebo
Taking 2 months of 3 months off to get his legs in good shape again. NO TEAM USA. Not worth it long term.
His shooting and his passing. He needs to become a more consistent three point threat and improve his FT% to about 85%. I love Kawhi's little hook/one-handed shot that he used during the NBA Finals so maybe he can make that his signature shot. His mid-range shot can improve as well. I've been saying to myself that Kawhi Leonard has Scottie Pippen potential. I think his dribbling can improve with confidence.
Pop needs to give Kawhi the green light. I expect Pop to start running plays for Kawhi and help carry some of the load off Duncan and Parker. Pop has to be blind or and idiot to not notice what Kawhi is capable of based on his performance in the NBA Finals.
Scottie Pippen used to be a point-forward so perhaps Pop can start molding Kawhi into being a better playmaker.
This is very important as well. Fu*k Team USA and Coach K. Kawhi needs to rest those knees.Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Callahan
I'd like to see him get better at finishing around the rim. Maybe a softer touch and some patience before the shot release. He's by no means bad in this area, but there were several occasions where he would make the kick ass move to get to the rim or where he would pull down an amazing offensive board, only to rush the shot or lay it up too strong. Beyond that, His midrange game and outside shot are ahead of schedule in my book, but any further development there would be amazing.
I love this kid and his willingness to get better. I was also amazed that he did NOT shrink under the pressure of NBA finals, and in fact flourished in his role. Kid has ice water in his veins.
Kawhi Leonard - Career 3G% .375 Career FT% - .804Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGreatYacht
Scotty Pippin - Career 3G% .326 Career FT% - .704
Ball-handling and passing, tbh..
Paul George had similar ball-handling flaws and corrected them last season, he improved with more touches and responsibility..I expect the same from Leonard, tbh..George also became a solid passer, which is essential for Kawhi, too..his passing improvement will be a key factor in Pop's decision to increase his touches..
Kawhi's post game is already more advanced than most of the young players in the NBA, tbh..
It's a three day camp, and it's not for like a fucking month. Take a pill.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGreatYacht
His handles still need work... nothing that's not correctable, but more work is needed there.
Part of his struggles at finishing can be attributed to his ball-handling, tbh..when Kawhi isn't creating, he doesn't have any problems finishing..Quote:
Originally Posted by CGD
It's the reason Danny Green is atrocious inside, too..he's one of the worst ball-handling guards in the league..
That's nice to know. I meant in PPG. Obviously that will only increase as Pop gives him the green light.Quote:
Originally Posted by exstatic
I forgot to mention this. Kawhi should also work on improving his post game. If Kawhi can master his post game, then he would be able to take advantage of mismatches, especially when he's being guarded by PG's, which can come in handy when the opponent puts a bigger defender on Parker.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
He needs to develop SHOTS, lots of them to become an offensive threat
Everything people have mentioned so far. One thing people havent mentioned that he really needs to work on his is vertical leap, there have been tons of times where he's failed to finish because he simply can't get up high enough. Even on the plays he does get and 1's on he barely leaves the ground. Higher vertical=better finishing.
I think his knee issues affect his vertical leaps so the less he fly the betterQuote:
Originally Posted by KL2
I think both him and Green need to learn how to be more threats. It will help when teams try to take away Parker. Kawhi should have been attacking Chalmers till the Heat gave up on that strategy. Green's got to do the same.
Ball handling. the ability to take people off the dribble in the half court. he showed that plenty of times in the miami series. lets see him hone his craft further and become a legitimate threat every time he's holding the ball. along with that comes the mid range pullup jumper
NO.Quote:
Originally Posted by therealtruth
The team doesn't need for Green to have more responsibility in the offensive end.
Green needs to work on his handling too though
Um, he literally didn't touch the ball when Chalmers was covering him, tbh:lol..Quote:
Originally Posted by therealtruth
A lot of us repeated this in several threads..Parker wasn't going to Duncan or Leonard when he had Lebron covering him, which he should have been doing..
If only Pop was a normal coach that took advantage of mismatches on the floor. The man is so fixated on his system.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
Weightlifting.
He got up on a few of those dunks in the finals man. I saw some flashes there.Quote:
Originally Posted by KL2
Going to his left.
he needs to rest his knees. that's the #1 priority
Leonard ballhandling and footwork hold him back
especially his footwork
he doesnt understand how to take steps properly to get a shot in good rhythm while driving
a lot of times he ends up using that pivot after driving but not because its a great move to pull off but because of his bad footwork
Tony/Manu are great at it and get layups all the time because of it
not this shit again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Poolboy5623
A little bit of everything.. get well rounded, outside shooting needs to be more consistent but this might have been problematic because of his knee and not getting lift. His ball handling but he also needs a go to move, maybe a pull up jumper.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ
http://mynethome.net/blog/wp-content...-zoolander.jpg
I can't recall Pop ever trying to teach a player to create his own shot, but if it's possible, please do it for Leonard. I can't stand the idea of Manu and Neal being our secondary shot creators again...
Kawhi Leonard has made some tremendous improvements thus far in his short career. If he can improve his ball handling and free shooting as well, hes probably in contention for the all star game.
a step back fade away would be nice. :)
Brilliant minds think alike.Quote:
Originally Posted by lmbebo
Post up moves. I hope Pop trusts him to be a primary offensive option and start calling plays for him very often.
Of course the team needs Green to have more responsibility on offense. He needs to be able to get his own shot, or at least able to counter getting run off the three-point line. It would be nice to see him more-successfully run a pick-and-roll (he actually wasn't terrible at it, but only because Duncan would always pop out). The more responsibility Green can handle on offense, the better for everyone, provided he doesn't become a ball-stopper.Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
green will never be ray allen but he should study him tbh... ray has a great in between game in case they close too hard on him, he can either pull up for the midrange jumper or drive for some floater or layup... no reason danny can't be a poor mans ray in that aspect.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chinook
Agreed about Green, tbh..
Just adding a counter floater during the off-season could make a huge difference IMO..last year, he added the pull-up 3, which allowed him to occasionally shoot 3s off the dribble in transition and on the pick&roll..next year, he needs to add a floater of some kind..
This. With more touches and play calls leonard will find where he's comfortable getting his shots off at, and improving his ball handling will allow him to get to the rim as well as pass when the defense collapses. Hopefully he practices running the pick n roll too. I agree that he well developed postgame and has a lot of different moves, the problem is that no one gets him the ball when he posts.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
I honestly feel like Kawhi should be the 2nd option. If he develops like he did offseason there's a good chance he could be the best player on our team.
give his knee rest, let the tendonitis totally heal and change whatever he needs to change to prevent it.
Passing and court vision are probably the two biggest. His shooting will keep improving and he's shown the ability to play in the post. Putting the ball on the floor and his first step will also need to improve.
not choking.. missed ft in Gm 6 and a go ahead 3 in gm 7
Sometimes people are just not fair man. This kid was playing the best player in the world at 21 with no fear whatsoever and you dare calling him a choker? He just couldnt get them to drop, it happens.Quote:
Originally Posted by kobexxx
He was the only one besides duncan with the hearts and balls to go out and fight game 7.
Trust me, theres no finals without Kawhi, GS would have send us home in 6
If Kawhi is half the man that we all thought he was going into games 6 and 7, he will come out next season ready to grab the bull by the horns.
No lie, I broke a glass I was drinking on after a play when I saw chalmers covering Leonard and Parker tried to go one on one against LeBron. Mark Jackson literally cooked Parker with mismatches during the GS series. I have no idea why Pop doesn't like to do thatQuote:
Originally Posted by TheGreatYacht
One thing I don't think anybody has mentioned yet is an above-the-break 3 point shot. Kawhi simply isn't a threat from range unless he's in the corner. Forcing teams to cover him at any spot on the arc adds more versatility to the motion plays we can run. I definitely agree with the passing and ball handling comments as well. And it's probably not as high a priority as the other things, but if he learned a floater sometime in the next few seasons, that would be a nice tool to have in the toolbox.
And yeah, if Danny could get to even average off the dribble, it would open up some more options.
He needs a go to move that can split the double team. The double team split and kick to the open man was lethal when Ginobili used to do it.
I think the Finals opened his eyes to how much he is needed here. He made the comments about how he wants to make an appearance at the All Star game every year..Quote:
Originally Posted by Darius McCrary
Kawhi doesn't exactly wear his competitiveness on his sleeve, but I hope he and Green really push the hell out of each other next year to be the lockdown defender of the team. I expect a huge jump from Kawhi next year on both sides of the ball.
I'm hoping we can get a top SG prospect with size to pair with him for the future.
The Spurs actually went to Leonard at a decent rate on post mismatches against both the Lakers and Warriors in the playoffs, tbh..Quote:
Originally Posted by hommeaetage
I'm not sure what happened against Miami..it could have been Parker being in disarray from Lebron's pressure, maybe Pop didn't trust Leonard in the Finals, who knows, tbh..
It was definitely that. Parker was completely neutralized by James' determination to win the series.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37
I heard an interview with a Spurs trainer. He has Jumpers Knee, it's never going to fully heal as long as he is a professional basketball player. He's been dealing with it since college. That's the bad news, the good news he said was as long as Kawhi is serious about doing therapy excercises and doesn't spend all his time attacking the basket it can be managed and should not hamper his career.Quote:
Originally Posted by HI-FI
If all this is true then wow, this sucks balls. There goes my aspirations of seeing Kawhi turn into a Scottie Pippen one day. I hope Kawhi can have a long career then. IDK what else to say.Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBoy
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercis...rs_knee?page=1
Not stopping when passing, keeping his head up more when dribbling.
Seeing as the thread has moved to "what do Kawhi and Green need to work on this summer"
For Green, he just needs a counter to a 3 point shot, so that if he is run off the line, he can counter with a dribble in, and pull up from mid range. That shot isn't the goal of the offense, and you shouldn't take it if there's enough time to reset and try and get a better shot. But with 5 left on the clock, a shot-fake to pull up is as good as you're going to get. Bit more on dribbling for that, but he doesn't need Crawford handles.
For Kawhi, continue work on his already very good post game. If teams put a wing on TP, you move Duncan and Splitter/Diaw/Other Big(#millsapprayer) to mid range, and let him go to town on the PG/combo guard sacrifices thrown his way. Also, practicing shooting above the break/non-corner 3's( He was a good 3pt shooter from the corners, but converting wing 3's a bit better would help), and the ball handling and passing that has been mentioned.
Both will be a gradual process, they'll get better both in the offseason and during the regular season.
Wing 3s, post-ups, and drawing fouls.
Especially the last; sure, he's averaging a good amount but 2.3 FTAs a game is simply mediocre for a top 3 scorer.
after two seasonsQuote:
Originally Posted by TheGreatYacht
Pippen 11 ppg
Leonard 10 ppg
Gee, imagine if we replaced Pop with Phil, traded Parker for Hill, and had Kawhi run the triangle as a point forward.Quote:
Originally Posted by exstatic
I never understood attacking matchups that don't work in your favor over easier ones. I think Lebron defending Parker was huge in the Heat winning the final 2. It killed all our ball movement.Quote:
Originally Posted by hommeaetage
Easier for him to defend Parker when:Quote:
Originally Posted by therealtruth
Starting Ginobili meant that while Manu played more off ball, it was harder to find a set where either of them could initiate the offense
Parker was hurt
the Spurs standard sets were working less because the Heat had found adjustments to them
the problem was getting a consistent offensive flow, exacerbated by turnovers
the defense was fine philosophy-wise, but not so results-wise (letting LeBron shoot jumpers worked in Games 1-3, was pointless in Game 7 because LeBron could make even halfcourt shots - and Chalmers made a halfcourt heave)
ball handling and ft shooting.
The way I see it, Dwyane Wade provided the blueprint for the kind of success Kawhi can have.
He's taller, and a WAY better shooter already than Wade. He just needs to work on his handles and moves off the dribble.Quote:
Originally Posted by Namundy
FT shooting and he needs to master the mid range game..using floaters or a pull up. Becoming deadly in the mid range area will make him tough to defend and honestly could complete his game.
This kid potential is higher than Parker's when he was 21 tbh...
Try to have a reliable pull up jumper and a little handling.
free throw ? :hitit:
I don't think improving on those aspect of his game necessarily means increased offesnvie role. Sure he needs to learn how to fake and maybe dribble a couple of times for mid-range, maybe a floater too...Quote:
Originally Posted by Chinook
All in all add in more dimension to his game to make it a little bit more difficult to plan against him. But there's hardly enough touches to move around to warrant an increased offensive role.
If he bulks up a bit and learns how to create his own shot, he'll be near unstoppable. Crazy to think that he'll come into training camp a much better player than what we just witnessed in the finals.
handles and mid range off dribble
So he needs to be a better ball handler on the defensive end?Quote:
Originally Posted by apalisoc_9
Ball handling, obviously. He doesn't dribble too well. That, and his shot. He doesn't have a killer shot. He is money within 5 feet of the rim. He has no mid range game. He is solid from 3 land, but even his 3's can improve. I expect big things from Leonard the 13-14 season.
Part of Leonard's development will be Pop running plays for him and letting him do more. Pop needs to let him spread his wings and grow. No more babying him.
Not sure exactly what you mean by Leonard being a better shooter than Wade. Leonard has no mid range at all. Leonard is good from 3, and within 5 feet of the basket. Wade is better Offensively.Quote:
Originally Posted by exstatic
Like I've said adding a few things in his game doesn't mean an increased role. He needs to add a few things in his game, but that's basically just to counter any strategy or plan to kill his 3 point attempts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kobulingam
You do know the Olympics are not this summer right?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGreatYacht
Leonard needs to refine his ball handling and he should be able to take over as the #3 option. He has shown he could score in quite a few ways: 3's, pull up jumper, post ups, and drives/cuts to the basket. Once he stops depending on screens and cuts to get an open shot, he can attack his defender 1v1 off the dribble, which should open up more shots for everyone.
But Leonard should still make defense his #1 priority. His defensive ceiling is higher than his offensive ceiling. While he may have borderline all-star potential on offense, he has all NBA potential on defense.
There's a USA Basketball training camp this summer that he may participate in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spur|n|Austin
No sh*t. I'm talking about that training camp or whatever it is that Coach K invited Kawhi to. Do your homework before you start acting like a smart as*.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spur|n|Austin
Ball Handling Skills, watch Kobe and MJ on youtube, then more Ball Handling Skills
Ball Handling Skills
Ball Handling Skills
Ball Handling Skills
Ball Handling Skills
Ball Handling Skills
Ball Handling Skills
Ball Handling Skills
Ball Handling Skills
He is not a WAY better shooter than Wade, just a better spot up three point shooter. Yes, he is taller and both rebound very well for their position. I do agree though that he needs to work on his handles and off the dribble jumper. That's where he can imitate Wade with that mid range hook shot/floater that Wade killed us with. Wade was never a three point threat and Kawhi is not really one off the dribble. If he can improve ball handling and a mid-range off the dribble jumper, he will be an all star.Quote:
Originally Posted by exstatic
shooting, post moves, FTs, lateral quickness, maybe a little voice modulation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Bottomtooth
Do you guys think I don't know that? - It was all over the board when he got the invite - I was referring to TheGreatYacht's rant about a WEEK OF TRAINING camp which isn't for over a month from now. He's 21 years old for crying out loud. It's an honor for him to be invited, and he'll be fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGreatYacht
transition offense
An aggressive mentality -- at all times during the game.
Free throws
I would say Kawhi needs to work on:
1. Ball handling
2. Vertical jump
3. Mid range jumper
I still see Kawhi as a Larry Kenon type player, good rebounder, pretty good jump shot.
Most importantly ball handling. If he had great ball handling he'd be impossible to stop on fast breaks, but unfortunately because of sloppy dribbling he stops himself sometimes.
Second, court vision. He needs to increase his court vision a lot! That's another reason he has struggled with fast breaks. He needs to see the court way before he gets down there. This will improve naturally over time, but increased studying and laser therapy for his eyes will help.
Third, he needs a consistent jumpshot off of the dribble. If he can improve in these three areas, he'll be unstoppable.
Fourth and finally, free throw shooting, because they're called FREE throws for a reason and you should never bail out a team for getting beat on defense and resorting to fouling. Fouling isn't part of the game. Make teams pay for fouling.
Dribble drive and midrange game. Kid could beast offensively next year. Pop seems to be at the point of trusting him and letting him flourish, which is a good thing.
Is Kawhi really that bad at ball handling? I always saw him as a good ball handler in traffic. The GIF from his rookie year against the Knicks comes to mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by illusioNtEk
If Kawai is able to bring the ball up the court and create plays for himself on either a 1on1 situation, or the ability to drive to the basket (which he does) He will be almost unstoppable. By doing this he needs to master and learn good Ball Handling Skills much like Kobe and Lebron, both which are tall just like Kawahi is.. but have the ability to dribble is what sets them apart to another level of SuperstardomQuote:
Originally Posted by rick1991
The Spurs need to give Kawhi the keys to the team. TP has shown he's not reliable enough in the big moments. TP would work great in a secondary role.
dude Kawhi dropped like double his season average in those games and the only reason we were in position to potentially have a go-ahead three in game 7 was because he made a 3 to cut the lead to 2 on the last posession dumbassQuote:
Originally Posted by kobexxx