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Depends on his usage rate in the playoffs tbh. Your best player can't shoot just 12 times a game and expect him to "carry" the load.
what kind of hit would it take if he can't lead this Spurs team to at least the 2nd round, tbh?
Pop has been selling him as our next franchise guy, and frankly, it's difficult to argue with it when you look at his entire body of work so far, especially in the playoffs...
Looking at young Tim, he at least always had the Spurs in the 2nd round, and those were the years of the three-peat Lakers, and with a weaker roster...
It it an unfair comparison? Is it putting too much pressure on the guy? Not really a franchise talent? Thoughts?
Depends on his usage rate in the playoffs tbh. Your best player can't shoot just 12 times a game and expect him to "carry" the load.
Pop seems sold on him.
It's going to be tough replicating TD's run though.
have you seen how good the west is nowadays? Durant and Ibaka will be back next season, NOP will be a better team, and Utah is an upcoming team...
The main question is about this season.
Yes. Tim was the best player of his generation. Unique. Like Jordan, Lebron, that type of player.
However, Pop never limited healthy/prime Tim minutes in playoffs like he does with Kawhi. Leonard will never play Tim's minutes and get that number of shots per game.
It's huge for Kawhi, IMO. People will question his franchise tag if the spurs fail to advance past the 2nd round.
But I don't think people or even pop would put this on kawhi though.
It's not like they are fully utilizing him as their best player..
12 FGA is not that bad, tbh... for comparison's sake, Tim averages 16 FGA/game career-wise in the playoffs. It's true it was closer to 18 FGA in his first 4 seasons, but he did have a weaker roster around, so that kinda makes sense.
The minutes thing is puzzling though, I would agree with that.
Tim Duncan was something the league wasn't used to at the time. A fair comparison would probably be Anthony Davis, a very skilled big man coached by someone mentored by Pop who hasn't been able to succeed from a team aspect, he's gotten his numbers but again he's facing the number 1 seed so you can't be too hard on him. Kawhi has the opportunity to really showcase his inner Duncan, the workings of Pop in his mind, being able to adjust, to take what is given and play within himself. It always gives me much confidence to listen closely at the little he has to say every postgame interview because usually it outlines the type of performance that follows. Being patient in the post, not turning the ball over, and making better decisions off the double teams is what stood out to me. The way they're defending him is going to be crucial for us since I know we have the right people in place to make them pay for doubling our wing player. This dude is inspired and he has help, he won't let this series end in quick defeat that's for sure. He's too great to allow that.
Maybe thats why the Spurs didn't max him out when they had the chance. Pop knew from the start of the season.
kawhi probably would've played more game 1 but didn't he pick up two fouls in the first quarter?
Kawhi Leonard is an exceptional talent and the Spurs are more than fortunate to have gotten a player of his caliber. However...there will never be another Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan is a once in a generation player. Kawhi Leonard will not do what Tim Duncan did, as good as Leonard is. Unfair comparison, tbh.
Kawhi won a Finals MVP at the same age Duncan and Magic won theirs. Its a fair comparison tbh.
Last game Thompson 17 Lebron 18 Butler 19 CP3 20...Kawhi 12, even when the Spurs were shooting 36% and KL 58%. A franchise player should beg for the ball like Kawhi must do when he's wide open or has a favorable matchup?
Pop can say what he wants about the face of the franchise but never treated Leonard like one.
12 FGA and his mins is bad if you have a 23 year old superstar tbh. Kawhi should play at least 35-37 mpg. He can handle it.
BTW, passing out of the double was never his problem in game 1, it was what his teammates on the floor did (poor shooting, aimless passing, being afraid to attack Jordan in the paint.)
I have a feeling he will get more playing time, if Pop knows what's good for him he will.12 FGA and his mins is bad if you have a 23 year old superstar tbh. Kawhi should play at least 35-37 mpg. He can handle it.
BTW, passing out of the double was never his problem in game 1, it was what his teammates on the floor did (poor shooting, aimless passing, being afraid to attack Jordan in the paint.)
Pop's coaching/gameplan has been weird. As I've said before, during the win streak they clearly looked for Kawhi in the post all the time. They didn't care, they ran screens for him so that he could get a favourable match-up/sweet spot in the post. But the past 2 games, they have yet to do that. I don't know why they decided to suddenly deviate from what was working.
I think comparing to other teams is simply pointless. The Spurs just don't do ISOs anywhere near as much. Like I said, Tim is probably a better barometer, considering the system and what not, but you also have to take into account that in Tim's first 3-4 seasons, the offensive options were limited. It was him and DRob doing the heavy lifting. Yet, Tim averaged around 18 FGA. This is a much more balanced roster.
We'll see about the minutes thing, but Tim did use to average almost 40mpg... I'm puzzled at times with Pop sitting out Kawhi too much...
Pop, as great as he is, doesn't realise the importance of having at least danny or kawhi in at all times.
Not really entirely is Leonard's lead.
Enrique still take a lot of shots tbh.
What happens this year in the playoffs will have zero impact on Kawhi's legacy. He's already a FMVP and he has a dozen or more years ahead of him. In 2020, Kawhi will be 28 yr old star. Put that in perspective...
I think they did try to establish Kawhi early in the low post....
The problem was they doubled the very first time...and we didn't handle it well. Got trapped IIRC...and threw a rainbow pass cross court. Giving the D time to adjust.
I don't blame Kawhi for it at all...but we've got to make quicker decisions when he gets doubled. Surrounding him with shooters is a start...but that doesn't solve everything. I have faith he (and the rest of the team) will execute and get the ball moving next game.
Im starting to think if Pop replaces Tiago with Diaw in the starting line up
This.
It's either 'The Beautiful Game' or 15-20 contested KawhISO pull-ups. You can't have both.
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