Unless I missed some other threads...
Posts on their '19-'20 Season threads since 01/01/20LeBron '19-'20:
2,920Harden '19-'20:
73Giannis '19-'20:
11Kawhi '19-'20:
4I know we talk about Kawhi/Giannis/Harden on other threads, but even then it feels like it pales in comparison to LeBron who is always getting compared to somebody by both his fanboys and his haters. I know this is because LeBron is a truly generational sports figure who's been doing this forever and has earned his mega-popularity, but let's give some more love to these other guys.
Right now the "Best Player in the League Crown" is up for grabs, and with Curry/Durant on the sideline that crown is going to end up on one of these 4 players' heads at the end of the bubble unless we see an unprecedented run from someone like Lillard/Jokic/Embiid. I'd put Harden as the least likely to get the crown, but he'll have a great argument if he drops 35 PPG in the bubble playoffs and the Rockets win the title.
The real convo is Giannis vs. LeBron vs. Kawhi, and with Giannis/LeBron dominating the regular season headlines it feels like once again that Kawhi is being overlooked.
I knew that Kawhi was having a much better defensive year with the Clippers than he did with the Raptors last year, but I feel like I may have been underrating how well he was playing on that end.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29524638/2020-nba-awards-ballot-zach-lowe-picks-mvp-roy-close-racesZach Lowe's Awards column on ESPN had some very strong statements in regards to Kawhi's defense.
"Leonard inspires that same panicked hesitation. You see ball handlers turn the corner on the pick-and-roll, load that crosscourt pass to the corner, and then pull it back when they realize Leonard is the weakside defender. The next read is to the big man rolling to the rim, but Leonard is a threat to that pass, too.
Leonard eased into things, but by midseason, he was approaching prime San Antonio sharktopus mode. By the end, he was the second-best defender in the league on a possession-to-possession basis -- yes, better than Davis."
Lowe didn't have Kawhi in either the MVP or DPOY mix due to his lack of minutes but he makes it clear that he thinks he is back in the picture as arguably the best defensive player in the game. Although I actually felt like Lowe was a little off on some of his opinions in this column, he's generally one of the very best NBA analysts out there and I respect his opinion a lot.
Bball-Index (
https://www.bball-index.com/) is a good NBA analytics website that I've used in the last couple of years. I don't take it as gospel but I appreciate the unique way they grade players as opposed to the same old stats. They are also extremely high on Kawhi's 2020 DPOY case, and actually have him as a Top 5 candidate.
Those rankings speak for themselves. They paint him as a Spurs Kawhi-level defensive demon.
So now we have Zach Lowe, basic On/Off data, advanced PbP On/Off data, advanced analytics driven scouting all agreeing on one thing... Kawhi Leonard is back to being an absolute monster of a defender in 2020.
Giannis is the best regular season player in the league these days and is searching for a Championship to make him into a Legend, LeBron is the still in his prime GOAT candidate that's searching for another Legacy boosting ring to add to his resume, but Kawhi is just there... lurking on the wings both figuratively and literally, ready to snatch the Championship away from everyone else, again. And in doing so, he would be snatching the "Best in the Game" crown from Giannis and LeBron especially if he goes through them and cementing himself as one of the best to ever play this game when his health allows him
I am so excited for these playoffs. The Lakers vs. Clippers matchup in particular has been something I've been so excited to watch for almost a year at this point. Make no mistake, I am a LeBron fan and am rooting for him to outplay Kawhi and go through the Clippers to win a ring. But that series would be an absolute War, one I'm hoping we get a chance to see.
