“He can score from any zone.” This sentence, uttered by Kevin Durant minutes after his defeat Phoenix Suns at the hands of the LA Clippers (115-110) it perfectly sums up what kind of player he is Kawhi Leonard. Words like these have been spoken before, coming from the lips of the real protagonists of the game: the stars. Mutual recognition within the elite confers a status which, due to the speed with which events develop in nbait can quickly fall into oblivion.
Kawhi represents an unusual, almost unique profile.. His personality hardly stands out among his peers. Sober, quiet, low profile, away from the social media bubble. The Clippers forward raises his voice, or rather uses it, when he has something to say. A complaint to the referees, a very specific command to his teammates or an outburst after a decisive play. Kawhi Leonard’s tongue is its own game. One in which the classicism of the past converges with current trends in aggressive terms, orthodoxy and avant-garde united in the same player, able to break through the opposing defensive wall every time.
😤 KAWHI 😤
38 DEGREES
13 of 24 shooting from the field (54.2%)He’s turned on Playoff mode and there’s no stopping him#NBA #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/KHy6xQXrGr
— Sportingnewses Spain 🇪🇸 (@sportingnewses) April 17, 2023
The speed at which things move in this league has taken Kawhi out of the spotlight on more than one occasion. Injuries have prevented him from playing nearly two full seasons in his entire career (in 2018 and 2022), causing many to forget his true value. As if left out of the general dynamic, his talent withered or became a thing of the past. Big mistake.
In 2019, the Californian forward overcame all the challenges in front of him to lead toronto raptors at the highest peak, dooming the dynasty of the last decade to the abyss just as he previously did with Miami heat.
Some time later and after overcoming one of the toughest injuries for an outsider, a torn ACL in one knee, Leonard is again walking with a steady step toward his ultimate goal: the ring. And it does so without making noise, without causing the anticipation and noise that other stars generate. When the Playoffs begin, Kawhi shows that he is extremely difficult to stop. And it is, precisely, because of what Durant recognized, because of his offensive versatility. Maybe not in the style of Stephen Curry or KD himself, but because how he manages to get to the spaces he wants regardless of the opposing approach.
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But his value as a consistent regulator on the pitch does not end with all he produces in scoring, where he shows that classic strikers still have their place, but rather with all he offers to the rest of the team as a passer. .
Leonard may not be the most explosive on the court, but his mind is the fastest. Look, analyze, find the crack and find a way to make it possible to connect with a partner through movements both correct and simple. Controlling time, supporting and adopting your own aggressive gravity is what makes actions as meaningful as possible:
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Playing slow is a virtue that not everyone can pull off successfully. Kawhi makes that beatof that unbroken union of vessel and step his best weapon.
As such, Tyronn Lue’s style, which prioritizes indirect blocks, headshots, is better suited to the Playoffs than the Regular Phase, as Leonard is designed to be unstoppable at this stage of the run.
“It’s winning games, rebounding, getting offensive rebounds, staying true to our style, that’s Playoff basketball.”Leonard said after defeating Sans. “You might not have the best shooting night, but you have to impact the game somehow.”
Time has passed but Kawhi Leonard was still there, waiting for his chance and that chance is this.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
