Gregg Popovich had some high praise for Kawhi Leonard following the San Antonio Spurs’ Game 6 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The highest praise, actually.
He called Leonard the best player “in my opinion”:
https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/857815607848443904
What Popovich said isn’t egregious, but the best player in the NBA isn’t Leonard. It’s LeBron James, who remains superhuman.
In the regular season, when James’ defensive switch isn’t flipped, Leonard is the better two-way performer. Effort matters, and James conserves himself on the court more than anyone else in the league until the springtime bracket rolls around.
But the argument is probably closer than we think. Leonard’s scoring ability is on par with James’ right now, and he might have the overall edge on defense. He doesn’t grab as many rebounds, but he’s a truer small forward, rather than a power forward masquerading as a 3 masquerading again as a 1.
The real separation exists in the playmaking department. James is by far the better setup man. Leonard’s vision has improved every season, but he’s not tasked with running the offense like a point man. He collapses defenses and flings bullets on the move, but not with the frequency of James. And defenses still don’t defend him the same way. Their implosions against LeBron are more stark.
This takes nothing away from Leonard, who just wrapped up one of the most efficient postseason series for someone averaging 30 points per game. He’s certainly a top-five player, and the argument for him as the second-best talent isn’t flimsy. But James continues to be the NBA’s primary alpha. Leonard is, at best, waiting for him to cede his throne.
