***OFFICIAL KAWHI RELATED NEWS Thread***

[ZeusWillJudge]

The Toronto Caterwaul
04/08/2019


Dennis Robertson, the agent and uncle of NBA star Kawhi Leonard, announced today that his client will be sitting out the first round of the upcoming NBA playoffs for purposes of load management. It is still undecided whether the star will be on the Raptors' bench during the series, or searching for a new doctor in Los Angeles.

Raptors' management immediately released a statement of their own. "It was always our plan that Kawhi would sit out back to back playoff series, due to the substandard medical condition he received prior to coming to our franchise. By sitting out the first and third series, we insure that he will be available for the Finals, should we advance that far." The spokesperson went on to encourage all Canadians, not just basketball fans, to support Leonard on social media, and let him know how honored they all are to have him here. "Canadians are good people who really care, eh?"

[Twisted_Dawg]

I imagine PATFO essentially told him the same thing which either caused or deepened the rift. He could have been better protected for his career here though and hidden in team basketball.

I wish timvp would share his knowledge of the rift.

[Dverde]

The Toronto Caterwaul
04/08/2019


Dennis Robertson, the agent and uncle of NBA star Kawhi Leonard, announced today that his client will be sitting out the first round of the upcoming NBA playoffs for purposes of load management. It is still undecided whether the star will be on the Raptors' bench during the series, or searching for a new doctor in Los Angeles.

Raptors' management immediately released a statement of their own. "It was always our plan that Kawhi would sit out back to back playoff series, due to the substandard medical condition he received prior to coming to our franchise. By sitting out the first and third series, we insure that he will be available for the Finals, should we advance that far." The spokesperson went on to encourage all Canadians, not just basketball fans, to support Leonard on social media, and let him know how honored they all are to have him here. "Canadians are good people who really care, eh?"

That Kyle Lowry comment of having a load 100 times worse to management must have triggered him.

[toki9]

Yep. If Masai offers 190/5, he's signing his pink slip.

Even 141/4 is risky AF. I don't think he ever tops 70 GP or even really 65 GP the rest of his career. And if he ever gets hit in his quad again he's done for the year cause he'll shut it down. I wouldn't do more than 3 years. You've got to make sure you didnt just lock up another Chandler Parsons.

I imagine PATFO essentially told him the same thing which either caused or deepened the rift. He could have been better protected for his career here though and hidden in team basketball. If he signs that max somewhere, they are going to want return on their investment sooner or later.

That's probably what happened. And remember, for the Spurs, the number would have been $221 million. The Spurs have always called it a long-term issue that had to be managed--and they probably had some concerns about locking up $221 million on a guy with a long-term issue. And Kawhi and his people probably thought the "long-term issue" diagnosis was just a negotiating ploy because the Spurs didn't want to give him the $221 million--and things likely just went downhill from there.

[Mugen]

Why tf is this thread still going?

[spurraider21]

clippers are maxing him

/thread

[gambit1990]

should be moved to the nba forum imo.

[Fusternino]

[gambit1990]

[Seventyniner]

Of course Kawhi is a max player, how is that even a question?

A better question is if he's a supermax player. Before last year's show, and before knowing how often he sat out this season, I would have said yes. Now I'm glad he and the Spurs didn't agree to a supermax. It's moot now, of course, but interesting nonetheless imo.

Did we ever find out if the Spurs even offered it?

[Dverde]

A better question is if he's a supermax player. Before last year's show, and before knowing how often he sat out this season, I would have said yes. Now I'm glad he and the Spurs didn't agree to a supermax. It's moot now, of course, but interesting nonetheless imo.

Did we ever find out if the Spurs even offered it?

Did you check page 46? Lot’s of answers on that page.

[rjv]

Why tf is this thread still going?

it's ST.

[boutons_deux]

Former Spur Steve Smith Says Gregg Popovich Made Kawhi Leonard a Star

https://www.sacurrent.com/Art /ar...leonard-a-star

[weebo]

Former Spur Steve Smith Says Gregg Popovich Made Kawhi Leonard a Star

https://www.sacurrent.com/Art /ar...leonard-a-star

Pop/Spurs gave KL the opportunity to become what he is today but KL put in the work to become a superstar.

[exstatic]

Pop/Spurs gave KL the opportunity to become what he is today but KL put in the work to become a superstar.

Hard work is fine, with proper direction. The Spurs have one of the top development staffs in the NBA. Kawhi could have worked his tail off on another team, and wouldn't have been as successful. Just look at all of the top 10 draft picks that bust out.

[SpurPadre]

Hard work is fine, with proper direction. The Spurs have one of the top development staffs in the NBA. Kawhi could have worked his tail off on another team, and wouldn't have been as successful. Just look at all of the top 10 draft picks that bust out.

I wouldn't label Poetl a bust but I still can't believe he was a Top 10 pick. I highly doubt PATFO would've drafted him had they had 10th pick that year.

[exstatic]

I wouldn't label Poetl a bust but I still can't believe he was a Top 10 pick. I highly doubt PATFO would've drafted him had they had 10th pick that year.

I'd have to go back and look at his draft to see what else was out there. He's a really good defensive player when they get his fire lit, has good hands, and is a rim runner. It's also possible that Toronto was drafting for need or expected need. His PER for this season is 19.5. That's #54 in a league of roughly 450 players. He's improved a lot this year.

[Twisted_Dawg]

Former Spur Steve Smith Says Gregg Popovich Made Kawhi Leonard a Star

https://www.sacurrent.com/Art /ar...leonard-a-star

Odd article

[exstatic]

Odd article

Well, the Current is just a local, but that last line...man.

[exstatic]

I'd have to go back and look at his draft to see what else was out there. He's a really good defensive player when they get his fire lit, has good hands, and is a rim runner. It's also possible that Toronto was drafting for need or expected need. His PER for this season is 19.5. That's #54 in a league of roughly 450 players. He's improved a lot this year.

That 2016 draft was a wasteland. The only players taken after him of note were Domatis Sabonis at 11, who was REAL slow to develop, Pascal Siakam at 27, and DeJounte at 29. Jakob is in the top 5 in Win Shares for his draft class.

https://www.basketball-reference.com.../NBA_2016.html

[boutons_deux]

there so much BULL noise in media now, sometimes nothing but gratuitous filler, entry barriers used to selective, filtering

now you have do the filtering yourself

[Thomas82]

Hard work is fine, with proper direction. The Spurs have one of the top development staffs in the NBA. Kawhi could have worked his tail off on another team, and wouldn't have been as successful. Just look at all of the top 10 draft picks that bust out.

+1

[Dman2]

Lol. Raptors won fewer games this year than last despite obviously more talent AND a much easier conference.

Kawhi is simply NOT a max player anymore based on his usage rate alone. Throw in that he doesn't make his teammates better as the primary option and it all adds up to addition by subtraction. Good riddance.

That's true, but you have to factor that Kawhi missed 25 games, Lowry missed about 20 games, JV (before the Gasol trade) missed 3 months, VanVleet missed a month and OG missed about 15 games.

[Seventyniner]

That 2016 draft was a wasteland. The only players taken after him of note were Domatis Sabonis at 11, who was REAL slow to develop, Pascal Siakam at 27, and DeJounte at 29. Jakob is in the top 5 in Win Shares for his draft class.

https://www.basketball-reference.com.../NBA_2016.html

Poeltl is #1 in WS/48 too. Dejounte at #21, though he's behind 4 players who haven't even played 600 minutes total.

I forgot that Chriss went that high.

[SpurPadre]

That 2016 draft was a wasteland. The only players taken after him of note were Domatis Sabonis at 11, who was REAL slow to develop, Pascal Siakam at 27, and DeJounte at 29. Jakob is in the top 5 in Win Shares for his draft class.

https://www.basketball-reference.com.../NBA_2016.html

Thanks for the research. Yeah, he is proving to be a useful player but he has clear limitations, particularly on the offensive end. I know the game wasn't drastically different in 2016 for bigs as it is now but whenever I think of bigs being drafted that high, I think of game-changing bigs.