Post by jhb on May 12, 2021 8:52:16 GMT -5
Kawhi Leonard
SF
6'7"
225
20
San Diego State
Leonard is a very versatile forward who scouts are torn on despite otherworldy physical gifts. He's incredibly strong for his size and has a 7'4" wingspan on his 6'7" frame and combines that with gigantic hands. He's a bit of a late bloomer and really burst onto the scene after a strong senior year of high school, but after being somewhat under-recruited earlier in his career he elected to go to a small school where he could truly develop his game. Every team he's been on so far in his career has won and his work ethic and hustle have certainly helped contribute to that. While he's still a little green offensively, many front offices may be enticed by his defensive work and his high potential.
Defensively, his obscene measurements and athleticism have scouts salivating at his potential. His long arms and big hands will allow him to stay in front of anyone and also slide down to guard much larger opponents in the post. He'll almost assuredly be all-TMBSL level on defense and he will likely develop into one of the more disruptive defenders in the league in terms of creating steals and blocks thanks to his length and leaping ability. Additionally, he's an absolute menace on the boards, looking to crash the defensive boards at all times to shut down opposing offenses.
Offensively, scouts find Leonard tougher to pin down and this may be why he drops on some boards. He doesn't have any one aspect of his offensive game that stands out as an elite attribute, but he certainly has the potential to get there. He's a fair jump shooter but he's not consistent yet from range and put up pretty poor efficiency numbers from 3 in college. His handle is solid, but if pushed to his left hand he's still not totally confident yet there. He still struggles to finish off-balance and while he takes some high-difficulty looks you'd expect to see out of a lead scorer type, he doesn't convert them yet. His touch around the rim could be better as well, but he has started to show some post moves including a turnaround that's been somewhat effective when under control. Out of the triple threat, he's shown a nice jab step that he turns into a step-back that he can take to great effect when he creates space (which he does often and his length allows him to create pretty easily). He moves well without the ball in his hands and is a good screener for his teammates, he also does a good job crashing the offensive boards for second chance opportunities.
