At 6'7", 230 pounds, Kawhi Leonard is averaging 26.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on 48.6% shooting from the field, 37.2% shooting from three-point range, and 88.5% shooting from the foul line. He is the leader of this new generation San Antonio Spurs team, guiding them to a 57-16 record, which is second only to the 59-14 Golden State Warriors. Leonard certainly has a very impressive resume, but is he really the best player in the NBA over the likes of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Isaiah Thomas, and Anthony Davis?
Below is a quick breakdown of each of those player's statistics and the record of their respective teams. By looking at these numbers, we can better determine if Leonard is in fact the best player in the NBA.
Russell Westbrook: 31.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 10.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 42.3% shooting from the field, 33.4% shooting from three-point range, and 84.0% shooting from the foul line. Oklahoma City Thunder record: 42-31 (6th in the Western Conference).
LeBron James: 26.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 54.2% shooting from the field, 37.3% shooting from three-point range, and 67.9% shooing from the foul line. Cleveland Cavaliers record: 47-26 (2nd in the Eastern Conference).
James Harden: 29.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 44.8% shooting from the field, 35.2% shooting from three-point range, and 84.8% shooting from the foul line. Houston Rockets record: 51-22 (3rd in the Western Conference).
Kevin Durant: 25.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.6 blocks, 53.7% shooting from the field, 37.8% shooting from three-point range, and 87.6% shooting from the foul line. Golden State Warriors record: 59-14 (1st in the Western Conference).
Stephen Curry: 24.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 46.3% shooting from the field, 40.0% from three-point range, and 91.8% shooting from the foul line. Golden State Warriors record: 59-14 (1st in the Western Conference).
Isaiah Thomas: 29.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 46.2% shooting from the field, 37.9% from three-point range, and 91.1% shooting from the foul line. Boston Celtics record: 48-26 (1st in the Eastern Conference).
Anthony Davis: 27.9 points, 12 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.2 blocks, 50.6% shooting from the field, 31.3% shooting from three-point range, and 79.7% shooting from the foul line. New Orleans Pelicans record: 31-43 (11th in the Western Conference).
When comparing these players to each other, what needs to be factored in is both their individual statistics and the success of their teams. For example, Russell Westbrook is putting up the most gaudy numbers with the triple-double average, but his team is 6th in the Western Conference. Can we really say he's better than Kawhi Leonard when his team isn't doing nearly as well?
When factoring in both individual success and team success, it's pretty clear that there is no clear cut front runner for best player in the NBA. One could easily argue for why each of these players is the best player in the NBA.
The argument that one would make for Kawhi Leonard is that he is the most multi-dimensional player in the NBA and that he is leading his team to the second best record in the NBA. What makes Leonard so scary is that he is no longer just an athletic freak that plays basketball. He's become a skilled basketball player that is also an athletic freak. Look at his shooting numbers: 26.0 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field, 37.2% shooting from three-point range, and 88.5% shooting from the foul line. The dude can stroke it and when you combine that with his freakish athleticism, you got yourself a scary good basketball player.
The biggest concern that NBA scouts had about Kawhi Leonard when he was coming out of San Diego State was whether or not he could shoot at an elite level in the NBA. They were sold on his athleticism, but his shooting was a major question mark. Judging by his shooting numbers, I think Leonard has proven that his shooting is no longer an issue. As a matter of fact, it has become a major strength of his.
By improving his shooting so much, Kawhi Leonard is now a guy who can truly get it done on both ends of the floor. He defends and shoots at an elite level, and he also is able to get rebounds and dish out assists. While I would still take LeBron James on my team in the NBA Finals, I think it's safe to say that Kawhi Leonard is approaching that status. If anything, he might even be better considering that he has better shooting numbers.
When Kawhi Leonard went #15 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, I was really surprised considering his overall potential. I suggested that the Utah Jazz should have grabbed him at #3 overall and looking back on it, they definitely should have. As a matter of fact, if there was a do over of the 2011 NBA Draft, Kawhi Leonard may have gone #1 overall ahead of Kyrie Irving. What's even more crazy is that Isaiah Thomas would have gone #3 instead of #60.
The bottom line is that Kawhi Leonard has firmly established himself as an elite NBA player and is rightfully in the discussion of being the best player in the NBA. He's always had the athleticism, but now that he has the skills to go along with it, it's pretty tough to argue that there is someone else out there with a more complete package.
To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here.
To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here.
To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment