Everything Kawhi Leonard

[Shaolin Fantastic]

It's a good trade even if Kawhi leaves, just for the one year value of having a top 5 (imo he's #3) player for a year.

If he re-signs it is a fucking heist. 2 years of DeRozan and a solid-but-not-great C prospect for a top 5 player in his prime and Danny Green? Masai out here with trade override turned on.

[MixxAOR]

Kawhi leaving doesn't mean Danny Green will leave and even though he's not an All-Star he's a solid starting SG

[ReubenJRD]

Kawhi leaving doesn't mean Danny Green will leave and even though he's not an All-Star he's a solid starting SG

I agree, but he's past his prime so any future relationship with Green I would expect--or at least hope--it to be cheap.

[ReubenJRD]

Can someone make sense of this for me?

Got into a debate with someone, and he argued that Kawhi Leonard isn't at the very least, an all-star calibre player offensively.

[Nilanka]

Kawhi leaving doesn't mean Danny Green will leave and even though he's not an All-Star he's a solid starting SG

Good point, but the consensus opinion is that if Kawhi leaves, the teardown begins....which means Green doesn't really have much of a purpose anymore.

Unless he thrives in the "steady vet" role, and Nurse wants him back to continue as a mentor.

[DanH]

Can someone make sense of this for me?

Got into a debate with someone, and he argued that Kawhi Leonard isn't at the very least, an all-star calibre player offensively.

Sorry, no, no one can make any sense of that.

[Nilanka]

Can someone make sense of this for me?

Got into a debate with someone, and he argued that Kawhi Leonard isn't at the very least, an all-star calibre player offensively.

Doesn't sound like he's too familiar with Kawhi. This is the only conclusion I can come to when talking to anyone who thinks this is a bad trade for the Raptors.

[ReubenJRD]

Sorry, no, no one can make any sense of that.

Doesn't sound like he's too familiar with Kawhi. This is the only conclusion I can come to when talking to anyone who thinks this is a bad trade for the Raptors.

I mean, I'm not trying to find validation, but I honestly thought I went dumb. Like, how the hell does a career 39% three-point shooter, 50% FG pct shooter, 85% FT shooter on 12 shots not scream all-star? For eff's sakes, he was 9th in the league in scoring the previous season he was healthy.

Oh my god, someone help me.

AND the dude credited it all solely on the 'system.' Which, like, I get, but that Spurs system is far different than what it was with Tim/Tony/Manu.

[MixxAOR]

Can someone make sense of this for me?

Got into a debate with someone, and he argued that Kawhi Leonard isn't at the very least, an all-star calibre player offensively.

does the person you arguing with uses "eye test" or stats?

[ReubenJRD]

does the person you arguing with uses "eye test" or stats?

I have no clue. If he has either, then... I don't know wtf he's looking at.

[MixxAOR]

I have no clue. If he has either, then... I don't know wtf he's looking at.

people look at fancy ball handling and fancy finishes and think that's what All-Star has to do. Kawhi is effective but he's not flashy like some All-Stars.

To me everything about his game is efficient. No wasted movement.

[golden]

It's a good trade even if Kawhi leaves, just for the one year value of having a top 5 (imo he's #3) player for a year.

If he re-signs it is a fucking heist. 2 years of DeRozan and a solid-but-not-great C prospect for a top 5 player in his prime and Danny Green? Masai out here with trade override turned on.

Basically what David Griffin said. Real NBA GMs can see both the short and long term value of the trade. It solved 2 problems. There was no way we could build a playoff team around DeMar.

[ReubenJRD]

people look at fancy ball handling and fancy finishes and think that's what All-Star has to do. Kawhi is effective but he's not flashy like some All-Stars.

To me everything about his game is efficient. No wasted movement.

I think, eye test wise, he's got that flash, though.

No wasted movement, but he's got an awesome low-to-high post game, he is a terrific shot creator, has a great stop-and-pull up jumper, just as good as anybody with the in-between game, and he has solid court vision. He has wide offensive repetoire, and like you said, doesn't do it with the ball-handling combos and finishes that guys like Durant and LeBron do (comparable guys).

[ReubenJRD]

Basically what David Griffin said. Real NBA GMs can see both the short and long term value of the trade. It solved 2 problems. There was no way we could build a playoff team around DeMar.

The perfect word to sum up this team led by DeRozan: mediocrity.

[inthepaint]

The perfect word to sum up this team led by DeRozan: mediocrity.

Actually, I don't agree with the use of that word to describe this team as led by Derozan. That more aptly describes the Pistons and Hornets of the world, or the Raptors that were swept by the Wizards, imo

I was extremely happy with the trade, and like mostly everyone that actually follows the team closely, saw clearly that we had hit our ceiling, and we wouldn't go any further with the way we were built. That said, the very reason we could rightfully start to even contemplate championships as goals is because of how the floor of this team was raised over the past 4-5 yrs.

We went from being the punchbag of the NBA to being one of the best teams in the conference, consistently winning over 50 games, breaking multiple franchise records in the process, never even worrying if we would make the playoffs or not, often being among the leagues' top defences and offences. We took a huge leap. That didn't happen overnight, took a lot of hard work, focus on internal development and careful management by Masai. That ain't mediocre in my book.

None of that was enough of course, and we had to take another huge step this year, but without that foundation, we wouldn't have a top 5 player on a roster and be primed for an NBA finals as we are right now.