Spurs: Kawhi is the best defensive player in the league

[FkLA]

Not sure Ive ever seen a perimeter defender dominate like he does tbh.

Jordan and Draymond aint got on him.

[Red Hawk #21]

I love watching Kawhi Pippen tbh. Best defensive player in the league though? Damn, I'm not sure honestly.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Another 5 steals tonight. Dude literally takes out 1 side of the floor.

[DMC]

He actually had 6. Funny they credit Westboro a rebound when he slaps the ball around and yet don't credit Kawhi when he was the one who forced the turnover.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

True^

[apalisoc_9]

spurs stats guy smdh...

i wonder how many unrecorded rebounds tim has..

[DMC]

spurs stats guy smdh...

i wonder how many unrecorded rebounds tim has..

One for sure, the rebound to Vanessa from Amy.

[Clipper Nation]

Kawhi "DPOY" Leonard

[TDMVPDPOY]

jordan and green play against bs at their position

while kawhi is going up against best players at their position who make up at least top10 players in the league...

[DMC]

Kawhi is probably the best one on one defender in the game today. It's amazing how disruptive he is on defense. Last time I saw that kind of was Bowen, but Bowen didn't have those claws.

[Malik Hairston]

This year, it's between Kawhi, Draymond Green and Gobert IMO..

[AlexJones]

Draymond Green is getting the max

[unleashbaynes]

Kawhi is stupidly good ball handlers their pants around him

[scanry]

Draymond Green is getting the max

Rather him than Chandler Parsons tbh.

[Cry Havoc]

Draymond Green is getting the max

So is Gobert. He's a 21 year old phenom big with a ton of potential. He's gonna get the max too.

[Arcadian]

Kawhi is probably the best one on one defender in the game today. It's amazing how disruptive he is on defense. Last time I saw that kind of was Bowen, but Bowen didn't have those claws.

Who would've thought when Bowen retired that we'd end up getting an even better defender at the same position - except more athletic and a better scorer?

[Infinite_limit]

I wish Leonard was still playing for SDSU so DUKE could all over him

[benstanfield]

(It's Gobert tbh. He's a game changer.)

Kawhi will always be at a disadvantage not being a 7 foot rim protector with long arms. He can shut down a side of the court, but an elite rim protector can shut down an entire offense.

[DMC]

(It's Gobert tbh. He's a game changer.)

Kawhi will always be at a disadvantage not being a 7 foot rim protector with long arms. He can shut down a side of the court, but an elite rim protector can shut down an entire offense.

Sure, if the entire offense is predicated around getting to the rim. Defending the rim is a part time job. Defending on the perimeter is a full time job, because it starts on the inbounds and continues by denying the pass, and rotating to the ball and disrupting a play or stealing the ball/blocking or altering a shot. The rim protector just hangs back and waits to see if the ball is going to come into the post. If he gets dragged out into deeper water, he's toast.

[hater]

(It's Gobert tbh. He's a game changer.)

Kawhi will always be at a disadvantage not being a 7 foot rim protector with long arms. He can shut down a side of the court, but an elite rim protector can shut down an entire offense.

truth nuke.

Matrix 2.0 is great but Gobert is a freak show

[Cry Havoc]

(It's Gobert tbh. He's a game changer.)

Kawhi will always be at a disadvantage not being a 7 foot rim protector with long arms. He can shut down a side of the court, but an elite rim protector can shut down an entire offense.

IMO it's that dude down in New Orleans, but Gobert is definitely top 5 as well.

[Infinite_limit]

[benstanfield]

Sure, if the entire offense is predicated around getting to the rim. Defending the rim is a part time job. Defending on the perimeter is a full time job, because it starts on the inbounds and continues by denying the pass, and rotating to the ball and disrupting a play or stealing the ball/blocking or altering a shot. The rim protector just hangs back and waits to see if the ball is going to come into the post. If he gets dragged out into deeper water, he's toast.

Gobert already shuts down the PnR, weak side post, and teams don't even try to drive on him. His wing defenders could be the worst in the league and he would still anchor a good defense. Half of what Kawhi does is shuttling wings directly into Tim/Tiago on drives. Replace them with Dejuan Blair and his man would go for 30 a night. Kawhi is great at making it more difficult to run offense through the SF or have a guy posted up on his side of the floor. but Gobert shuts down the easiest, most efficient part of the floor to the point that opposing teams have to shoot long jumpers constantly.

[Cry Havoc]

Half of what Kawhi does is shuttling wings directly into Tim/Tiago on drives.

This is so laughably false it makes me think you haven't actually watched a Spurs game since Kawhi's rookie season.

[unleashbaynes]

benstanfield with the horribles.......