The Kawhi Leonard Bandwagon Thread

ty123 · Post #101 » by **ty123** » Sun May 29, 2011 4:12 am

Can someone start a Alec Burks bandwagon thread?

Prestige · Post #102 » by **Prestige** » Sun May 29, 2011 4:16 am

ty123 wrote:Can someone start a Alec Burks bandwagon thread?

Many brave men have tried, all have failed...

Post #103 » by **Undefeated** » Sun May 29, 2011 5:25 am

PRESTIGE wrote:Looks like Kawhi is working on his shot with Joe Abunassar..

http://www.lvrj.com/sports/aztecs-leona ... 46294.html

Kawhi's on a mission. Bring him home.

mappiah19 · Post #104 » by **mappiah19** » Sun May 29, 2011 6:18 am

meh .. Don't know why there is a thread on him. We either need a Center or someone who can create off the dribble.

kdizzle · Post #105 » by **kdizzle** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:21 pm

Looks like the following players are coming into Toronto for workouts this week:

Kwahi Leonard - June 15
Kevin Anderson - June 16
Travele Jones - June16

http://hoopshype.com/workouts.htm

PaperHoops · Post #106 » by **PaperHoops** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 2:50 am

The more I see of Kawhi the more I want him...

He's really an ideal fit alongside Demar and Ed. He can work on his shooting, but he will lock up on D and has the physical tools to play the 4 spot in some lineups.

I still like Kemba Walker - but I'd be just as happy with Kawhi Leonard.

Side Note: CBS College Basketball Network is showing some pre draft stuff. Nice piece on Leonard there.

Alodar · Post #107 » by **Alodar** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:20 pm

After much consideration I think Kawhi is the right choice.

Considering that the Small Forwards of the teams that made the playoffs included Lebron James, Paul Pierce, Luol Deng, Carmello Anthony, and Danny Granger, I think that having a lock down defender at the 3 would be a very good thing.

I also tend to value defense over offense and defense seems to translate better to the NBA game.

If he's around at the 5 I would consider him the best play available.

Pooh_Jeter · Post #108 » by **Pooh_Jeter** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:29 pm

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/15/ka ... ssing-link

Cool-Hand-Luke · Post #109 » by **Cool-Hand-Luke** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:33 pm

His shooting concerns me a lot. If DD doesn't add the three to his game, we need to find an SF who can shoot from long range. Kawhi will be available at 5 and we should pass on him.

Alodar · Post #110 » by **Alodar** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:40 pm

coolhandluke99 wrote:His shooting concerns me a lot. If DD doesn't add the three to his game, we need to find an SF who can shoot from long range. Kawhi will be available at 5 and we should pass on him.

From the article linked above

His shooting touch has definitely improved since late in the season,” Kelly said. “I think his proficiency at three-point shooting was probably as good as anyone here today.”

Elfus has had him training at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas for the past 3 1/2 weeks — working on his shooting with well known shot doctor Joe Abunassar

“We literally have to kick him out of the gym,” Abunassar told Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune. “It’s like, ‘You have to go home.’ He’ll keep a ball after a workout and go over to a side basket and get someone to rebound for him. Before you know it, he’s into another shooting session.”

With effort on his part, which he seems more than willing to put in, his shooting will get where it needs to be. I believe shooting can be learned -- I don't think lock down defender can be.

theonlyeastcoastrapsfan · Post #111 » by **theonlyeastcoastrapsfan** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:44 pm

coolhandluke99 wrote:His shooting concerns me a lot. If DD doesn't add the three to his game, we need to find an SF who can shoot from long range. Kawhi will be available at 5 and we should pass on him.

If Was trade up to 2, I could see us, if we weren't sold on Walker, to trade down, from 5th to Charlotte for 9th and 19th. I'd expect the draft may go like, Irving, Williams, Knight, Kanter, then Charlotte takes Walker, or Val, Minny takes Burks, Sac takes Walker of Fredette, and then Detroit picks. I see a number of the guys we're looking for at 5, availible at 9. Such as either Vesely, or Leonard, or Byombo. Then we'd have the 19th pick, we could look at Thompson if he's still there, but more likely a guy like Shumpert, or even Motiejunas, Singleton, or Niclole Vucevic from USC.

A haul of Kawhi, and Shumpert, or Motiejunas, wouldn't be a bad return, if for some reason they had some hesitation about Walker.

Jose/Bayless/Shumpert
DeMar/Barbosa or FA
Johnson/Leonard
Davis/Amir
Bargs/FA/Alabi

dagger · Post #112 » by **dagger** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:57 pm

PaperHoops wrote:He's really an ideal fit alongside Demar and Ed. He can work on his shooting, but he will lock up on D and has the physical tools to play the 4 spot in some lineups.

The term ideal fit is regularly abused on this board.

To be an ideal fit, he'd really have to have a great three point shot, create off the dribble, be a good passer, etc. His best attributes like rebounding and D are not much different than James Johnson's strengths. At best, Kawhi is a good fit, but ideal? Not even close.

Slam Dunk! · Post #113 » by **Slam Dunk!** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:58 pm

Matrix 2.0, without the atrocious shooting form? He's got my vote.

HomieOmey · Post #114 » by **HomieOmey** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:37 pm

I think in weak drafts, going with defensive players is always a very smart idea. Guys like Eddie Jones, Battier, Doug Christie, AK47, Marion, and Rondo developed into pretty solid players who have had huge impacts.

Without knowing much about the guy, or any of the other draft prospects, this guy just feels like he could be a difference maker.

If all we're hoping for is a Jameer Nelson or Gerrald Wallace level player, I'd feel much more comfortable betting on the athletic, defensive gem. AFter selecting Marion, Amar'e, and Ed Davis, I would totally back BC if he felt that Leonard or Biyombo was the best choice for us.

LargeBabyDavis · Post #115 » by **LargeBabyDavis** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 1:05 am

HomieOmey wrote:I think in weak drafts, going with defensive players is always a very smart idea. Guys like Eddie Jones, Battier, Doug Christie, AK47, Marion, and Rondo developed into pretty solid players who have had huge impacts.

Without knowing much about the guy, or any of the other draft prospects, this guy just feels like he could be a difference maker.

If all we're hoping for is a Jameer Nelson or Gerrald Wallace level player, I'd feel much more comfortable betting on the athletic, defensive gem. AFter selecting Marion, Amar'e, and Ed Davis, I would totally back BC if he felt that Leonard or Biyombo was the best choice for us.

+1

Post #116 » by **DG88** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 1:22 am

Every time I look at Kawhi he just looks high lool

Dalek · Post #117 » by **Dalek** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:04 am

Kawhi Leonard is going to be a great fit with this team, if he gets drafted. He seems serious, has an NBA body, above average defense and rebounding, and is only turning 20 at the end of this month. He's a guy that just seems like an easy plug and play guy for the Raps. You know, he reminds me a bit of Andre Iguodala when he came into the league.

The only wild card that could unseat him is Tobias Harris. I don't know a huge amount about him, but he is a better shooter and is younger than all the other SFs in this draft at 18. Jim Kelly went wild about him being the guy raising up on the draft boards so I think Harris may be a real possibility. It would be the equivalent of the Charllie V pick from 2005 that through everyone for loop.

ansoncarter · Post #118 » by **ansoncarter** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 4:42 am

not sure about a defensive sf. Doesn't feel like good value. They seem to bust just as often as anyone else but generally dont' carry the same upside if you get lucky. Plus it's the easiest role to fill by a mile. You can find a passable one pretty much anywhere. We even found one on the harlem globetrotters once

Weems · Post #119 » by **Weems** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 5:02 am

DeMar and Leonard on the perimeter would not be close to ideal to me. You can preach defence all you want, but at the end of the day you have to be able to hit a jump shot.

SF looks stacked in the 2012 draft. Admittedly, I don't know all that much about the players, but Barnes, Gilchrist, Miller, McAdoo are all widely revered... much more so than a guy like Leonard. Then you have Jones and others at SF as well. Looks like 12-15 of the top 30 prospects are SFs.

Gilchrist is Leonard on steroids. And he's the 5th SF taken on both the DX and nbadraft.net mocks. I'd rather get a significantly better SF next season.

dagger · Post #120 » by **dagger** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 1:49 pm

Weems wrote:
Gilchrist is Leonard on steroids. And he's the 5th SF taken on both the DX and nbadraft.net mocks. I'd rather get a significantly better SF next season.

Well in this draft you had better decide on value and not position because some positions are downright woeful at our draft slot. You can always make trades out of surpluses if we draft #5 next season, and it's also true that the next draft will be strong in other areas. There is no certainty we will draft #5 next year. We might be drafting 1 or 10.