I've always felt like Kawhi bogged the offense down to start games because of his lack of confidence with the ball in his hands. There's a lot of pressure to start and establish the flow of the game. It's much easier to come off the bench and just play. I think Pop should definitely keep trying this. Were spoiled rotten and were 6-1 but the truth is that Kawhi has struggled this year. He has not stepped up as he was expected to and it's hampering this team. At this point, I'm not at all surprised Pop has him coming off the bench.
I'm in the minority here, but to me Kawhi is just another quality role player. He's not and never will be a star because of three things: 1) He has no confidence with the ball in his hands and wants to get it out as quickly as possible. 2) His shot comes out very flat---there's very little arc on it and without using his strength he'll never be able to ISO. 3) He hates dribbling and tends to travel, carry the ball, and just be overall awkward with the ball in his hands. These are things that won't change because they have more to do with his personality than his ability. And people don't change.
Nobody thinks it could happen, but Kawhi could be traded soon. Were going to has have to pay him 12-16 million a year soon if we don't. I think that's why Pop has him coming off the bench. To let him know that he's not worth that much and that he's more in the area of Danny Green money (3-4 million a year) than super-star (12-16 million a year) money. The Spurs simply don't put as much value in players as other teams typically do. They're used to players sacrificing their salaries for the betterment of the team and I don't see Kawhi Leonard doing that.
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