Why has the Kawhi Leonard is the best player in the world talk ceased?

[Stephonit]

Right before the start of the finals media members were floating the idea that Kawhi Leonard was the best player in the world. Why have they stopped pushing that narrative?

I get the feeling it's because the media were never particularly enamored with Kawhi the way they are with LeBron, KD, and Giannis. They were just talking about it ahead of the finals to hype up the series even though Kawhi deserved the hype more than Giannis did. Now they are backtracking so that the finals doesn't become the final say on who the best in the world is because they don't like Curry or Leonard.

[Im so nba'd out]

The BITW will never be a turnover machine when you force him to pass.


(NFL Football fans will remember this)Just like the BITW will never only play one side of the field...Nhamd Asomugha


The second Kawhi plays with a bad pg, you will see what he really is.He can fool some people but he cant fool all of us.Still a very good player, just not BITW material

[Shogon]

He's injured... but he was never the best overall player. Steph is better. But Kawhi is a better two way player and the best two way player in the world.

Steph - best overall player for an ENTIRE season in the world
Kawhi - best two way player in the world
Durant - best on on one player in the world
LeBron - may very well still be the best player for a series or a single game in the world


Take from that what you will. The word "best" can just be interpreted in a ridiculous amount of ways.

To me... best means... which player can you put on any team in the league and irrespective of teammates, they're going to have a huge impact on that team, and can do it for the entirety of a regular season and post season? To me, that's Steph and it has been since 2016, though LeBron was clearly by far and away the best to have for a series at that time.

[tpols]

You are now seeing him play a real defense...

Tbh his passing is very robotic for an area of the game that requires creativity.

He also lacks dexterity slashing, never realized how often he uses the stiff arm.

[superduper]

I'm a huge fan of Steph but he is not a better overall player than Kawhi. That is just ridiculous.

[Gunslinger]

He's injured... but he was never the best overall player. Steph is better. But Kawhi is a better two way player and the best two way player in the world.

Steph - best overall player for an ENTIRE season in the world
Kawhi - best two way player in the world
Durant - best on on one player in the world
LeBron - may very well still be the best player for a series or a single game in the world


Take from that what you will. The word "best" can just be interpreted in a ridiculous amount of ways.

To me... best means... which player can you put on any team in the league and irrespective of teammates, they're going to have a huge impact on that team, and can do it for the entirety of a regular season and post season? To me, that's Steph and it has been since 2016, though LeBron was clearly by far and away the best to have for a series at that time.

Incorrecto.

Kawhi is a better player and was better in Curry's best season, 2016, when he lead the Spurs to 67 wins with much less help.

Curry might be slightly better on the offensive end, but the defensive end, which is half the game, the gap is HUGE. This makes Kawhi a better overall player. He's also more clutch/has more killer instinct with the game winding down.

[Gunslinger]

The BITW will never be a turnover machine when you force him to pass.


(NFL Football fans will remember this)Just like the BITW will never only play one side of the field...Nhamd Asomugha


The second Kawhi plays with a bad pg, you will see what he really is.He can fool some people but he cant fool all of us.Still a very good player, just not BITW material

Being Proctor's jizzrag for so long has turned your brain into mush.

:oldlol:

Kawhi, like Jordan, is an exceptional passer and could be the best at that, too, but he'd be dominating the ball which is a non-optimal way of playing the game of basketball.

[Vino24]

Being Proctor's jizzrag for so long has turned your brain into mush.

:oldlol:

Kawhi, like Jordan, is an exceptional passer and could be the best at that, too, but he'd be dominating the ball which is a non-optimal way of playing the game of basketball.
Exceptional passer by 90

[Im so nba'd out]

Being Proctor's jizzrag for so long has turned your brain into mush.

:oldlol:

Kawhi, like Jordan, is an exceptional passer and could be the best at that, too, but he'd be dominating the ball which is a non-optimal way of playing the game of basketball.
He could never be the best passer because he's not great at it and never will be.Passing is a natural instinct, you cant teach it.

You dont have to dominated the ball to be a good passer...See Draymond, see Andre Iguodala, see Lonzo Ball, see Marc Gasol, see Ricky Rubio, see Andre Miller, i could keep going.


Kawhi at most makes 1 exceptional pass a game.Like i said its his only flaw.He is a great player but that is too big of a flaw to be the BITW.

[superduper]

Exceptional passer by 90’s standards. Unfortunately he’s not playing against car mechanics and grocery baggers

The 2019 MVP is a literal street vendor

[LostCause]

Curry gets the most defensive attention of any player since Jordan

He’s not on Kawhis level defensively, but don’t underestimate his impact. Statistically, Kawhi isn’t far off from Curry offensively, but what doesn’t show in a stat sheet is the important part of Curry’s impact.

Just the threat of him forced an NBA team to use a Box and One defense in the NBA Finals. Let that sink in

[FKAri]

Nobody was disputing it so there was nothing to talk about.

[jstern]

Because of the series he was having against "Antekumpo" he was being talked about as being the best in the world. (By many, not all.) And that was like two weeks ago. Too long ago.

[SpaceJam2]

Incorrecto.

Kawhi is a better player and was better in Curry's best season, 2016, when he lead the Spurs to 67 wins with much less help.

Curry might be slightly better on the offensive end, but the defensive end, which is half the game, the gap is HUGE. This makes Kawhi a better overall player. He's also more clutch/has more killer instinct with the game winding down.

Did you just say that Curry MIGHT be SLIGHTLY better than Kawhi at scoring? :lol

Seent it all

[Vino24]

Considering Kawhi is playing with a better Pippen according to 3ball I see no excuses

[Artillery]

You are now seeing him play a real defense...

Tbh his passing is very robotic for an area of the game that requires creativity.

He also lacks dexterity slashing, never realized how often he uses the stiff arm.

His right quad will never be healthy. As a result, he favored his left leg too much and it's resulted in knee issues there. The last time he was 100% was the 2017 playoffs when he put full effort on both ends of the court. His recent playoff run is more Kobe-ish in that he's playing zero defense like the rapist.

[Artillery]

Because of the series he was having against "Antekumpo" he was being talked about as being the best in the world. (By many, not all.) And that was like two weeks ago. Too long ago.

Giannis was overrated though. Dwight Howard 2.0. Unskilled athletic beast propped up by a coach that put the ideal squad around him. It's embarrassing that he's going to end up league MVP. Worst MVP since Rose.

[SpaceJam2]

Considering Kawhi is playing with a better Pippen according to 3ball I see no excuses

:eek:

[hold this L]

I'm a huge fan of Steph but he is not a better overall player than Kawhi. That is just ridiculous.
He's much better than him. You will see by the end of this series.

[ILLsmak]

You are now seeing him play a real defense...

Tbh his passing is very robotic for an area of the game that requires creativity.

He also lacks dexterity slashing, never realized how often he uses the stiff arm.

The way I see it kawhi has an elite body and coordination, but he is not a read and react player. Maybe he is on d. But I think his offense comes from repetition and knowing if x happens then y is probably happening. That's why throwing weird looks at him confuses him. He seems like a guy who watches a lot of tape and has been drilled on what plays to make in certain circumstances. I don't know that he shows creativity in "that way" ever.

But he's clutch, he's strong and athletic and he's a winner.

For instance like in gm 1 when he was on the break and passed to siakam w a one handed flip bounce pass. That was like the weakest on the break pass I've ever seen haha. I was surprised.

I don't even think kawhi has ever felt he's the best player in the NBA like so many of these other guys do. He knows what he can do though and I think he believes in his coaches and that his squad can prevail if he plays the right way.

-Smak