Does Kawhi have the most forgotten/underrated playoff choke job of all time?

[TheGoatest]

2015 playoffs, first round.
The Spurs are up 3-2 over the Clippers.

I'll let the box scores for games 6 and 7 speak for themselves:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201504300SAS.html

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201505020LAC.html

[warriorfan]

I’m not sure if you were alive but there was this thing that happened in 2011. Look it up.

[TheGoatest]

I’m not sure if you were alive but there was this thing that happened in 2011. Look it up.

First of all, read the thread title. It refers to an event that is never talked about, and not something that is mentioned 24/7 on this forum, like the 2011 finals.

Secondly, the Heat lost to a team that swept the defending champions Lakers and beat the Durant-Westbrook Thunder 4-1. Kawhi lost to the perennial chokers Clippers, who themselves went on to choke away a 3-1 lead to yet another perennial choking team - the Rockets in the second round.

[Smoke117]

I’m not sure if you were alive but there was this thing that happened in 2011. Look it up.

Kawhit will join Stephanie's 2016 meltdown as one of the 2 or 3 top meltdowns of all time if Clips lose tomorrow. Though, I don't imagine you will be smoking as much crack as you did when sweet Steph shit the bed. :lol

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

How did t rex arms Flake Flippin get 4 blocks in a game:biggums::biggums::biggums::biggums:

[Gray GOAT]

Yeah, Kawhit let two of the three the last great Duncan years go to waste. He was schooling and styling on Jordan and Griffin left, right and center in that series, as well as choking big time on the line in game 6 of the finals in 2013. Kawhit was garbage for a large portion in the series against OKC in 2016 as well. Got killed by Durant.

[GimmeThat]

he just isn't as engaged when the opposing team have multiple ball handlers. the secret that is out, is that he gambles on defense

[Doranku]

Damn, BG out there dropping triple doubles in game 7 and CP0 still couldn't make it past the 2nd round with the Clippers. :(

[Spurs m8]

I’m not sure if you were alive but there was this thing that happened in 2011. Look it up.

Ether

[Spurs m8]

Damn, BG out there dropping triple doubles in game 7 and CP0 still couldn't make it past the 2nd round with the Clippers. :(

Thats our point god

[BigtimeNBAFan]

I’m not sure if you were alive but there was this thing that happened in 2011. Look it up.

LOL, the 2011 Finals is talked about all the time. It is pornography for Lebron haters. Kawhi's chokes aren't talked about nearly enough.

[BigtimeNBAFan]

Kobe choking against the Thunder in 2012 is also a huge choke job that doesn't get talked about. Go watch the final few minutes of game 2. The Lakers had a 7 point lead and Kobe basically by himself choked the game away.

[HoopsNY]

Certainly up there. He's consistently looked at as being a big game player, which he is for the most part, but that was an embarrassing performance.

[FKAri]

I’m not sure if you were alive but there was this thing that happened in 2011. Look it up.

Agreed. Kobe's choke job in 2011 is way worse. Not just swept but blown out by a bunch of white boys as the back to back defending champ. Nothing really comes close except maybe 2004 Finals where Kobe's shit ended up on Chauncey's dicc.

[And1AllDay]

Game 6 = 3 for 15, 12 pts
Game 7 = 5 for 13, 13 pts

Combined = 8 for 28, 25 pts total

Timmy D and Tony Parker tried to win game 7 bad with Timmys 27 and 11 on 69% and Parkers 20-5-5 on 50% but Kawhi had other plans :oldlol:

[MaxPlayer]

I don't view that as too much of a choke. Kawhi was a late bloomer. He was still a very incomplete player at that point, nothing like 2019 Kawhi.

[Roundball_Rock]

No one cares about first round outcomes, other than "fans" of Reggie Miller.

Kawhi is a 2x champion. Yeah, he had a bad series but so does every legend. On net, he has a deserved reputation as a strong playoff performer.

[TheGoatest]

I don't view that as too much of a choke. Kawhi was a late bloomer. He was still a very incomplete player at that point, nothing like 2019 Kawhi.

I've heard more about a 19-year old, straight out of high school LeBron failing to make the playoffs in his rookie year than a nearly 24 year-old Kawhi choking in that series.

And if he was a "late bloomer", why was he capable of averaging 23.4 points on .543 shooting in the first 5 games of that series yet only 12.5 points on .286 shooting in games 6 and 7?

[warriorfan]

Op seems quite insecure about something....

Interesting.

[MaxPlayer]

I've heard more about a 19-year old, straight out of high school LeBron failing to make the playoffs in his rookie year than a nearly 24 year-old Kawhi choking in that series.

And if he was a "late bloomer", why was he capable of averaging 23.4 points on .543 shooting in the first 5 games of that series yet only 12.5 points on .286 shooting in games 6 and 7?

I'm just saying, this notion that Kawhi is some all-time great began less than 18 months ago. No one expected him to carry his team in 2015. He was a great role player on a team with a bunch of great role players and no real stars.

[BigtimeNBAFan]

I'm just saying, this notion that Kawhi is some all-time great began less than 18 months ago. No one expected him to carry his team in 2015. He was a great role player on a team with a bunch of great role players and no real stars.

I would say it began in 2017. When he got injured in game 1 against the Warriors with the Spurs ahead, the myth grew that he would have singlehandily taken them down. Him being called an all time really begun then and then of course grew last year.

[SpaceJammeR]

his missed ft to tie the game in the finals against miami.

[tpols]

Yup...

I pointed this out in other threads. Kawhi not only skirted responsibility to GUARD Chris Paul on the Final possession. As did Manu. They let DANNY GREEN do it. They pussied out. And got J'ed. And on the flip side? Kawhi ****s up an easy alley oop gamewinner. He choked on both ends. And it's never mentioned. In a way... Shogun is right. Nobody gives a **** about Kawhi. If Lebron or Kobe did that, as defending champions in the first round... they'd be chastised forever. Kawhi does it? Not a peep. From that moment on he skipped the regular season, sat out, demanded trades, and team hopped.

Get... the... ****... out of here.

:lol

[SpaceJammeR]

kawhi is just one of those guys lebron haters hang onto until the next player. top 3 is mj, lj, and kb.

[Shooter]

Game 6 = 3 for 15, 12 pts
Game 7 = 5 for 13, 13 pts

Combined = 8 for 28, 25 pts total

Timmy D and Tony Parker tried to win game 7 bad with Timmys 27 and 11 on 69% and Parkers 20-5-5 on 50% but Kawhi had other plans :oldlol:


/thread

Me and Blake waxed that azz

[Shooter]

I've heard more about a 19-year old, straight out of high school LeBron failing to make the playoffs in his rookie year than a nearly 24 year-old Kawhi choking in that series.

And if he was a "late bloomer", why was he capable of averaging 23.4 points on .543 shooting in the first 5 games of that series yet only 12.5 points on .286 shooting in games 6 and 7?

Ouch :lol

[brooks_thompson]

I would say it began in 2017. When he got injured in game 1 against the Warriors with the Spurs ahead, the myth grew that he would have singlehandily taken them down. Him being called an all time really begun then and then of course grew last year.

This is the absolute truth. He unwittingly improved his legacy by sitting out the next season. Until he goes Terminator a couple more times and wins a couple more straight Finals, I think people need to slow down on his place in the all-time great lists. People just have that (admittedly dominant, very impressive) game 1 Warriors performance etched in their brains.

On the other hand, I personally hope he really is the unflappable robot we all think he is; he just has to do more to prove it still.

[Stanley Kobrick]

i believe most fans didn't really start paying attention to kawhi's career until last year when he beat stephen curry in 6 games with Van Vleet as his 2nd option

[light]

2015 playoffs, first round.
The Spurs are up 3-2 over the Clippers.

I'll let the box scores for games 6 and 7 speak for themselves:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201504300SAS.html

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201505020LAC.html

He didn't have his current stature then, so no one cared.

If he did it now it would be different. A choke won't be forgotten.

[SouBeachTalents]

Well, the one that occurred the day after this thread was made won't be forgotten anytime soon