(Limiting turnovers may not be a sexy stat, but for his career, Leonard has a TOV% of just 9.1 which is utterly ridiculous. While he doesn't rack up triple-doubles, you can pretty much pencil him in for 25+ points, 6+ rebounds, elite defense and one of the lowest turnover rates in the NBA for any high-usage player. What Leonard has done over the past half-decade has been outstanding. But that only makes it that much more crucial that we, the collective global NBA community, cast a spotlight on players who dominate in the moment, and appreciate them for what they are doing, even if their raw stat lines don’t rank near the top of the league. It would seem optimistic to expect Leonard to suddenly go on a major five-year tear where he catches up to Harden, and it would also be out of character of him to even care about such an arbitrary goal.īut in a league where players become more and more heliocentric by every season, players such as Leonard, not to mention Draymond Green, stand out as potential long-term casualties of a stats-driven narrative.Īs such, maybe any attempt at preserving such legacies are futile. Leonard could get reduced to a footnote, or someone only the old-timers in the back (presumably still being played by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall) will remember as being one of the most dominant two-way forces the league has ever seen.Īll of this is to ask: How much stock should we put into career numbers? Especially in relation to Leonard? And let’s not even begin to mention Russell Westbrook’s triple-double seasons. Under such a lens, Harden wins that discussion thoroughly. So when barbershops in the 2060’s discuss the merits of Leonard and Harden, what will be the basis of their conclusion? Yet, taking a snapshot of the present is usually an impossible task, as context gets lost over time. Some, even, would argue it’s not even close. Yet, right now in the present, Leonard is in many circles valued as the superior player. Discovery.The latter has accumulated a ridiculously impressive 22,022 points, 5,712 assists and 4,782 rebounds over his 12 NBA seasons so far, which objectively dwarfs those of Leonard. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter. Mark Medina is a senior writer/analyst for NBA.com. It’s still going to be a long journey, but I just have to keep fighting.” But I pushed hard to get to this point now. Knowing I’m not going to be able to touch the floor was pretty draining. “But last season, it was a long season with doing what I can to strengthen the knee and strengthen my whole body. “This is the easy part now because I’m able to get in the game and play,” Leonard said. Leonard has found stability through all the uncertainty. It’s not like he has to check any boxes.” Just seeing how he feels is the most important thing. We’re going to ride our medical staff on this one, and see how it plays out. “It’s going to be game-by-game and day-by-day with making sure he feels good. The Clippers (9-7) anticipate Leonard will play against the San Antonio Spurs (6-10) on Saturday ( 10:30 ET, NBA League Pass). After the Clippers upgraded Leonard following Thursday’s morning shootaround, Lue started him against Detroit in hopes of improving Leonard’s rhythm and team chemistry.ĬLIPPERS WIN!!! /Cj5hMRnch5 Since then, Lue said Leonard completed more 5-on-5 sessions “a couple of times.” Leonard also traveled with the Clippers on their recent two-game trip in Houston and Dallas. Leonard first played in 5-on-5 drills on November 11. The 11-year veteran averaged 12.5 points (44.4 FG%) and 6.5 rebounds in 21 minutes per game, and then missed 12 consecutive games because of stiffness in his right knee.īut Lue has since opted against that approach. Leonard started after coming off the bench in two of the Clippers’ first three games in an attempt to preserve his workload and ensure crunch-time minutes. It gives us a sense of calmness when he has the ball in his hand.” With him on the floor we’re a different team. “He looked pretty good as far as his movement,” Lue said. Despite Leonard’s inefficient shooting numbers, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue praised Leonard for his movement, his defense and a plus-26 rating that indicated team success while he was on the floor. Leonard finished with six points (2-for-8 shooting, 0-for-3 on 3-pointers) along with five rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes as a starter. How important is Kawhi Leonard's return to the Clippers' starting lineup?
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