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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

If There's a Playoffs MVP, It Should Be Kawhi Leonard

Russell Westbrook is the friggin’ 2016-2017 season MVP.  But if there’s a 2017 playoffs MVP award, it should go to Kawhi Leonard.

Okay, maybe LeBron James.  But he’s the doggoned King of Basketball.  He has transcended being an NBA player.  He’s an invincible celestial being.  If the NBA is a video game, LeBron is the boss of the final level.  And is somehow powered by a cheat code.  He shouldn’t count.

Anyway, Kawhi is the best two-way player in the league right now.  And this fact is in full display during this particular sequence in the 3rd quarter of the exciting Game 5 between the Rockets and the Spurs...
Wow.

Let’s break that down, shall we?

Throughout this game, Kawhi did a stellar job bothering Harden, in spite of how much the Rockets had to work hard and be creative with their screens in order to dislodge the former from the latter.

In this sequence, Kawhi shadows Harden, as usual, but gets bumped a bit by Trevor Ariza’s screen…

Kawhi gets slightly delayed a step behind; Harden drops a pass to Ariza before Kawhi can recover…

Kawhi promptly chases off Ariza from the three point line; when Ariza drives, Kawhi follows…

The uncomfortable Ariza passes the ball to Clint Capela.  But Kawhi is long and quick, as he shifts and leaps to block the shot with ease…

He gets the ball, dribbles it to the other end…

…easily gets through Harden’s “defense”…

…and avoids Capela’s attempt of a block with a reverse layup.
2 points.

Amazing.

Kawhi Leonard’s versatility and impact in both ends of the floors are truly unmatched in the NBA.  On top of that, he’s the only guy I’ve seen in the last few seasons that has been able to really give LeBron problems.

LeBron may be the King, but Kawhi is the Kingslayer.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous3:06 AM

    Kawhi's amazing, but SA still won game 5 with him sitting on the bench and/or largely ineffective down the stretch, and Harden still had a tremendous game, even though he struggled some in OT, though he kept getting his teammates involved with wide-open looks, which they weren't hitting as much as usual. Other than game 2, Harden has outplayed him each game. I'd rather have Kawhi than Harden though, but not through 5 games. SA's cast/coaching is superior to HOU's.

    You do make a good point for Kawhi being MVP throughout playoffs. It's between Harden, James, RW, and Kawhi. Losing in 1st round pretty much excludes RW, though. Kawhi was phenomenal vs MEM. But, MEM was just a 43-win team playing with Tony Allen and needing a 40yo Vinsanity to play key minutes, while SA sneaks out the series in 6.

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