Pop: "Kawhi is the best player in the World"

[dabom]

Pop is gonna look silly when Kiwi goes fishing in the 2nd round again

Who's alt is this?

[Chef Curry]

Pop trying to get Kawhi some respect from the officials in the next round.

What. 19 FT's, more than the entire opposing team combined wasn't enough?

Stop trying to push the small market, no respect from the refs narrative. Kiwi is getting superstar treatment at this point.

[Snaq O'Meal]

Who's alt is this?

Just another attention-starved sexual with inferiority complex issues.

[SupremeGuy]

Lakers fans are just sad these days.

[spursistan]

Personally I still think Lebron is that guy-- and maybe by some margin..However, by the end of these playoffs, it could be near consensus that Kawhi is the second best player in the world..He and James have been in different stratosphere this postseason..

At this point it is pretty much clear the roster around him is the problem...Nothing more could be said than 35-yo Parker being the second best performer on the team--and now even he is gone..

[SpursFan86]

Yeah, I'm still rolling with Lebron, but at this rate Kawhi is pretty much cementing himself as the 2nd best player in the world.

I still can't believe how much he's improved. Absolutely absurd.

[TD 21]

As I said a while back, Leonard needed to rise to the occasion as the undisputed lead player in the playoffs and he now has. His current level in the post season isn't sustainable and between that and the increasing burden, I expect some regression to the mean as this series goes along, but I've seen all I need to see.

James is the undisputed best until further notice (significant decline), but Durant is the only player in the discussion with Leonard for second. Curry is as good as someone of his stature can possibly be, but his stature inherently limits the effect he can have in certain areas.

[spursistan]

As I said a while back, Leonard needed to rise to the occasion as the undisputed lead player in the playoffs and he now has. His current level in the post season isn't sustainable and between that and the increasing burden, I expect some regression to the mean as this series goes along, but I've seen all I need to see.

James is the undisputed best until further notice (significant decline), but Durant is the only player in the discussion with Leonard for second. Curry is as good as someone of his stature can possibly be, but his stature inherently limits the effect he can have in certain areas.

Let's hope his prime doesn't get wasted, because right now the path toward surrounding him with game-changing, high-end talent is less clear than Duncan in his early prime (2000-2003)..The Big 3 (with TP/Manu) foundation was already laid by the time Timmy finished off winning the '03 championhip all by himself..Nothing of sort has been established/set for Leonard with this current team..

[HarlemHeat37]

Eh, Duncan had a window where was looking questionable(2000 to 2002), as well, tbh..we were hopeful for Parker/Ginobili, but most people didn't know how good they would eventually become..

Don't forget how badly the Lakers destroyed the Spurs during that stretch, tbh..the sweep was demoralizing as , I remember thinking the Spurs would never have a chance against them, going forward..

Kawhi is still very young, there's time to build around him..I don't want the front office blowing their loads by signing an over-30 player to a long-term deal, just to compete for 2 years..

[TD 21]

Let's hope his prime doesn't get wasted, because right now the path toward surrounding him with game-changing, high-end talent is less clear than Duncan in his early prime (2000-2003)..The Big 3 (with TP/Manu) foundation was already laid by the time Timmy finished off winning the '03 championhip all by himself..Nothing of sort has been established/set for Leonard with this current team..

From Lowe's game 2 adjustments article: "Aldridge has to be better. If he's not, the Spurs will ask themselves hard questions in the offseason. They are not going to waste Leonard's prime. They have some grand ideas for how to reshape the team, but it will be hard to free up money to execute them without moving a significant salary somewhere."

Unfortunately, there's probably nothing anyone can do to combat the Warriors until age/mileage eventually does them in.

As much as a lot of us talk about an Aldridge trade or cap space, neither is probably changing the Spurs' fortunes. Their best bet is probably him recalibrating his body/game and aging gracefully, as well as Murray making rapid strides and turning into a Parker-esque steal.