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CoachD wrote:Hi Spurs fans ... Raptor fan here, with a real question.

I have been thinking that Toronto's best lineup this season would feature Kawhi at the 2

Lowry
Kawhi
OG
Siakam
Valanciunas

That's an INSANE amount of length, defense, and a ton of offensive weapons

So the question...

Is there any reason Kawhi couldn't play the 2 full time? Apparently the Raptor coach spoke to him about it and he likes the idea

Thoughts?

He certainly can if he wants to. Leonard played the 2 here a lot with Danny Green playing the 3. I doubt playing the 2 full time would be a good idea though. That would depend upon whomever you are playing and whatever matchups you have that night.

It will be interesting to see how your offense pans out with Leonard. His best offensive years here he was basically playing point-forward and breaking people down 1 on 1. Now he is going to be a little more dependent upon Lowry and Van Vleet to get his shots I'm guessing. He has always moved well without the ball but its been a little while since he has had to do it consistently.

imagump1313 wrote:

CoachD wrote:Hi Spurs fans ... Raptor fan here, with a real question.

I have been thinking that Toronto's best lineup this season would feature Kawhi at the 2

Lowry
Kawhi
OG
Siakam
Valanciunas

That's an INSANE amount of length, defense, and a ton of offensive weapons

So the question...

Is there any reason Kawhi couldn't play the 2 full time? Apparently the Raptor coach spoke to him about it and he likes the idea

Thoughts?

He certainly can if he wants to. Leonard played the 2 here a lot with Danny Green playing the 3. I doubt playing the 2 full time would be a good idea though. That would depend upon whomever you are playing and whatever matchups you have that night.

It will be interesting to see how your offense pans out with Leonard. His best offensive years here he was basically playing point-forward and breaking people down 1 on 1. Now he is going to be a little more dependent upon Lowry and Van Vleet to get his shots I'm guessing. He has always moved well without the ball but its been a little while since he has had to do it consistently.

Nurse told Kawhi he is going to have him play plenty of point forward as well.

Lowry and Van Vleet are arguably the two best guards playing off the ball in the Eastern conference. Lowry already plays off the ball a ton in two or three PG line ups.

I'll miss the narrative-- that Leonard was the next in an unbroken chain of franchise players who inherited the mantle directly and won transitional titles alongside his predecessor (Robinson>Duncan>Leonard). I'll miss the mystique he helped perpetuate around the franchise, too. But in terms of saying 'I wish he were still on the team', I can't do that because I can't un-know what I know about him now.

Companies have employees and owners, and we all believed Kawhi was on his way to becoming an owner; we know now that he was only an employee, albeit one who made some great contributions to the cause, for which he'll be remembered and appreciated. But he's the competition now.

Kawhi, Inc., thanks you, San Antonio Spurs fans, in purple font in this .pdf link:

https://www.mysanantonio.com/file/338/5/3385-New%20Kawhi%20Thanks.pdf

He's not obliged to do anything. He owes the fans of the Spurs nothing. I appreciated the letter.

Without the fans there is no money.

He ‘earned’ 60 million dollars as a Spur. 18 of which he did nothing at all for. Evading his contract, evading his fans.

He owes a hell of a lot.

OK. Agree to disagree. I'm not sure what Spurs fan expect him to do.

Donald Kaufman wrote:OK. Agree to disagree. I'm not sure what Spurs fan expect him to do.

He doesn't have to do anything at this point, its over.

However, as Phreak50 pointed out. He did basically steal 20 million dollars last year and made up a story trying to force his way out of a contract he agreed to. The Spurs did him a favor.
I don't blame anyone for being pissed at him.

Idk about his jersey to be honest. Have to see how the rest of his career ends up being like is how I'll judge that.

He's definitely not your typical player either. I was on that group of people who'd take him over LeBron since Kawhi's 2nd year in the league, but I think he's just the prototype of his play style.

His last true success in the league, minus the game we were smacking the Warriors, was behind his HOF teammates whilst playing phenomenal defense.

CoachD wrote:

imagump1313 wrote:

CoachD wrote:Hi Spurs fans ... Raptor fan here, with a real question.

I have been thinking that Toronto's best lineup this season would feature Kawhi at the 2

Lowry
Kawhi
OG
Siakam
Valanciunas

That's an INSANE amount of length, defense, and a ton of offensive weapons

So the question...

Is there any reason Kawhi couldn't play the 2 full time? Apparently the Raptor coach spoke to him about it and he likes the idea

Thoughts?

He certainly can if he wants to. Leonard played the 2 here a lot with Danny Green playing the 3. I doubt playing the 2 full time would be a good idea though. That would depend upon whomever you are playing and whatever matchups you have that night.

It will be interesting to see how your offense pans out with Leonard. His best offensive years here he was basically playing point-forward and breaking people down 1 on 1. Now he is going to be a little more dependent upon Lowry and Van Vleet to get his shots I'm guessing. He has always moved well without the ball but its been a little while since he has had to do it consistently.

Nurse told Kawhi he is going to have him play plenty of point forward as well.

Lowry and Van Vleet are arguably the two best guards playing off the ball in the Eastern conference. Lowry already plays off the ball a ton in two or three PG line ups.

I could have sworn that the 2/3 positions are interchangeable in today's game. You see 3 point guard line ups these days in the new small ball style.

I think everyone will eventually forgive and forget Kawhi Leonard. Raptors fans felt betrayed when Vince Carter left. On the other hand at least Kawhi leonard gave y'all a championship so he should definitely be more appreciated as a former franchise player. Vince Carter was booed for at least 12 years before he got his first standing ovation.

mirrornick wrote:

CoachD wrote:

imagump1313 wrote:
He certainly can if he wants to. Leonard played the 2 here a lot with Danny Green playing the 3. I doubt playing the 2 full time would be a good idea though. That would depend upon whomever you are playing and whatever matchups you have that night.

It will be interesting to see how your offense pans out with Leonard. His best offensive years here he was basically playing point-forward and breaking people down 1 on 1. Now he is going to be a little more dependent upon Lowry and Van Vleet to get his shots I'm guessing. He has always moved well without the ball but its been a little while since he has had to do it consistently.

Nurse told Kawhi he is going to have him play plenty of point forward as well.

Lowry and Van Vleet are arguably the two best guards playing off the ball in the Eastern conference. Lowry already plays off the ball a ton in two or three PG line ups.

I could have sworn that the 2/3 positions are interchangeable in today's game. You see 3 point guard line ups these days in the new small ball style.

No they aren't. That is dependent on the offensive system of the team.

For example...

Demar hated playing 3 because in Toronto's system, the fast break into the secondary and the early - the 3 always runs the left side. Demar has improved tremendously as a ball handler but he still struggles to attack the rim with the ball on a left handed dribble. From the left he usually pulls up for a jumper.

That's why Norm Powell (an obvious 2) was forced to be a 3 when playing with Demar