Kawhi Has Taken The Leap By Mastering The League’s Most Boring Skill (Article)

[Amuseddaysleeper]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...0390e69d149d3?

The first week of the NBA season has been dominated by talk of two players in particular: the New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis, who is averaging an eye-popping 37.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3 blocks per game; and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, who is somehow averaging an even more unconscionable 38.7 points, 11.7 assists and 12.3 rebounds.

But despite their gaudy numbers, neither Davis nor Westbrook have registered the highest player efficiency rating through the season’s first handful of games, according to ESPN. That honor goes to Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs. The winner of the league’s last two Defensive Player of the Year awards is now making the leap on the other end of the floor in his first season since Tim Duncan retired, and he’s doing it despite hitting threes at the lowest rate of his career so far. How can a player in a shooting slump from behind the arc still be the league’s most efficient offensive player? Simply put, by mastering the art of getting to the line, and capitalizing once he’s there.

Full Article Continued...

[GSH]

Thanks. Good article, and dead-on.

I've said for a long time that one of my pet stats is FTA/36. (Depending on the role, sometimes FTA/FGA.) A guy who can get to the line is a huge advantage in close games. Especially on the road, and in the playoffs.

Kawhi is like some kind of damn machine. He sets out to learn something, and comes back good at it. I don't know if it was his idea to work on getting to the line, or the team's. But it's the single best thing he could have done to advance his game, IMO, and to help the team.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Scary thing is three point shooting is way below par. Once that picks up

[All Mighty Janitor]

Free throw shooting is the thing we needed last year. It's why I was saying we needed someone like Derozen on the squad. It's hard to put up lots of threes (and shoot those 3 efficiently) if you don't play fast. Free throws is the equalizer when playing slow. It allows you put up points and get back on defense. I didn't expect kawhi to get this good at getting to the line, and don't know if he'll keep it up, but it add a completely different dynamic to the offence. It makes me wonder if we should start Simmons even when Danny gets back. With Kawhi, LMA, Simmons, Gasol, and Parker all Adapt at drawing fouls we could have opposing teams in foul trouble and in the bonus for half the game.

[Spur|n|Austin]

Kawhi is like some kind of damn machine. He sets out to learn something, and comes back good at it. I don't know if it was his idea to work on getting to the line, or the team's. But it's the single best thing he could have done to advance his game, IMO, and to help the team.

I read an article this morning that said TD spoke to him about it. Here's the quote:

Before Duncan said goodbye in mid-July, he told Leonard that he needed to learn how to get to the free throw line on a more consistent basis. Defenders were constantly hanging on him, but he hadn’t quite figured out to encourage the contact in the kind of way that leads to easy points. Sure enough, Leonard has more than doubled his trips to the charity stripe thus far (10 per game after averaging a career-high 4.6 last season).

LINK

[HarlemHeat37]

It's nice during the RS, but can't become too reliant on the whistle(see: Derozan and Harden)..FTAs generally don't translate well to the playoffs IIRC..FT-reliant teams rarely do well, long-term, due to the tendency to "let them play" in the playoffs..

Since 2000, only 3 NBA championship teams finished in the top 5 in FTA rate(adjusted for pace)..6 NBA championship teams actually finished 20th or worse..

[wildbill2u]

Thanks. Good article, and dead-on.

I've said for a long time that one of my pet stats is FTA/36. (Depending on the role, sometimes FTA/FGA.) A guy who can get to the line is a huge advantage in close games. Especially on the road, and in the playoffs.

Kawhi is like some kind of damn machine. He sets out to learn something, and comes back good at it. I don't know if it was his idea to work on getting to the line, or the team's. But it's the single best thing he could have done to advance his game, IMO, and to help the team.

One of the reasons Pop used to bring Manu in to close games is that he had a great ability to run the offense and to drive the lane for a good shot or to draw a foul. Then he could make the free throws under pressure as well. Can't remember how many times he did that in close games to bring home the win. Now Kwahi has that role of controling the game at the close. He hasn't proved his handle is as good as Manu's but he definitely can draw fouls and then make them. A guy with skills like that is something every championship caliber team needs.

[cariocaz]

One of the reasons Pop used to bring Manu in to close games is that he had a great ability to run the offense and to drive the lane for a good shot or to draw a foul. Then he could make the free throws under pressure as well. Can't remember how many times he did that in close games to bring home the win. Now Kwahi has that role of controling the game at the close. He hasn't proved his handle is as good as Manu's but he definitely can draw fouls and then make them. A guy with skills like that is something every championship caliber team needs.

I had also noticed that about Manu.

Thanks for this article!

[Keepin' it real]

Really? Boring? Spurs? Still?

[Spurtacular]

[tholdren]

I have been saying this for years. KL has to learn to control the pace. Finally looks like he is. Give Spurs the Ring.

This is what Martin was supposed to do for SA last year.

[Kawhitstorm]

It's nice during the RS, but can't become too reliant on the whistle(see: Derozan and Harden)..FTAs generally don't translate well to the playoffs IIRC..FT-reliant teams rarely do well, long-term, due to the tendency to "let them play" in the playoffs..

Since 2000, only 3 NBA championship teams finished in the top 5 in FTA rate(adjusted for pace)..6 NBA championship teams actually finished 20th or worse..

Kawhi's foul drawing tricks are mostly the shot fake variety (ala Kirby/Wade/Pierce) rather than barreling into the paint like DeFrozen/Harden.

[apalisoc_9]

I wouldn't worry too much about Kawhi's tendency..Most of his free throws so far have been Shot Fakes..

But he learned a Harden in the off-season though...He's going to look for your hands and he's going to grab it with his non-shooting hand...Only guy That does that on a consistent basis is Harden. He does it like twice a game

[MultiTroll]

Since 2000, only 3 NBA championship teams finished in the top 5 in FTA rate(adjusted for pace)..6 NBA championship teams actually finished 20th or worse..

Lakers Lakers and Lakers?
Even if not overall, certainly #1 in bogus FTAs given.

[All Mighty Janitor]

I'm glad he's finally doing this. Defenders we're not respecting his space and he wasn't punishing them. I just hope it doesn't get as bad as Harden.

[Mr. Body]

Perhaps anecdotal, Kawhi seems to be using trips to the line to energize himself. He seems to start going on runs around them.