Do you think Kawhi Leonard is a system player that needs a stacked team in order to win?

[Duffman100]

How could anybody vote yes? Such a dumb question.

Were the Raptors “stacked”?

After Kawhi and Green left Toronto missed conf. final with just two possessions with a garbage Siakam performance. Kawhi fans are behaving as Toronto was trash before kawhi arrived. They were almost eliminating peak Lebron.

At no point were the Raptors almost eliminating peak Lebron.

He was literally spinning the ball in his hands, launching 26 foot long 3 pointers in transition. He was toying with the Raptors and we all knew it.

[Bergmaniac]

Everyone is a system player by this board's standards, except maybe LeBron, and that's a big maybe.

[Pennebaker]

It's not that he's a system player. He's a normal superstar player. He needs what most superstars usually need.

[timO]

no, he is a legit superstar

this is his first choke, and all of his team choke too

[Stillwater]

he isnt but his team was terrible in this series just terrible, so him playing bad in a lose& go fishing or go get swept against Lebron up next he opted to forfeit imo not even trying to win in game 7 I mean you cannot look at what he has done in the playoffs up till then and say game 7 wasnt him quiting on them

[Joerezz7]

he isnt but his team was terrible in this series just terrible, so him playing bad in a lose& go fishing or go get swept against Lebron up next he opted to forfeit imo not even trying to win in game 7 I mean you cannot look at what he has done in the playoffs up till then and say game 7 wasnt him quiting on them

Lol so are you saying it was ok for him to forfeit game 7 cause his team was terrible?

[ali1979]

Last year without kawhi and pg13 clippers won 2 games against super team warriors who had curry, durant, klay playing together.

This year with kawhi and pg13 clippers blew a 3-1 lead with blowing 19,15 and 12 point leads in last 3 games.

In game 5 and 6 pg13 played very well especially in game 6 with 33/6/3 and 5 steals. Why did kawhi finish the work in game 5 and 6?

This is the most epic collapse ever and it is on kawhi. He has 0 fg in the last quarter in the half absence of opponent's best player.

Now kawhi fans trying to put all the blame on pg13, doc rivers. If you are a superstar you have to win one of 3 games without coach or pg13.

So stop making fake excuses.

[Shanghai Kid]

We haven't really seen Kawhi in a rebuilding team so it's hard to say.

But his style of play to me suggests that he wouldn't suddenly a bad team good, or a carry a team to the playoffs.

But he's an amazing piece to add to a great supporting cast.

[Tacoma]

No. Absolutely not. I mean he has played on teams with a ton of talent, but he hasnt really played with even a 2nd real star other then early on before duncan declined.

Paul george is the biggest fraud star in elague history and the biggest cancer of the past 40 years. he makes everyone around him worse and all of his stats are completely empty.

Paul George games 5 and 6:

Game 5: 26/6/6 on 18 shots
Game 6: 33/6/3 on 21 shots

That's essentially supercharged #2 production and Kawhi's Clips still blew those games. Call them "empty stats" all you want but those points count on the scoreboard and they got the Clips sufficient leads to win the game. At some point the blame falls on the guy people are talking about as the best player in the game

You have to look deeper than his "empty" 33pts in Game 6. LAC lost by 13 pts and Kawhi was a -1 and PG was a -23. That -23 is big and that means they lost the game when Kawhi was resting on the bench and, in particular when PG was on the court without Kawhi when Denver made their runs. Thus it was Kawhi's supporting cast - PG in particular - that lost Game 6.

If you look at Kawhi's playoff stats 2019 (e.g., 30pts/9rbs/4ast) vs. 2020 (e.g., 28pts/9rbs/5ast), they're similar. Kawhi also had off games in Toronto, but the difference was Toronto's supporting cast played better in the playoffs than the Clippers' supporting cast. And we see now how good that Toronto team is with the 2nd best record in the league in 2020 and almost making the ECF.

[Baski]

What're you talking about OP? Just because Kawhi choked doesn't mean they're not stacked. They very much are.
He just needs a stacked team and a literally perfect system to get away with the load management stuff and win a title. Without all of those there are actual consequences to just sitting out whenever you want and treating the RS like practice, as we just saw.

[Heej]

Everyone is a system player by this board's standards, except maybe LeBron, and that's a big maybe.

No, Curry isn't a system player he is the system. Same with Jokic, Lillard, Harden, Embiid, Giannis (somewhat), KD, Kyrie, there's a lotta guys who I wouldn't consider a system player to the same extent that Kawhi is.

[Ambrose]

Everyone is a system player by this board's standards, except maybe LeBron, and that's a big maybe.

No, Curry isn't a system player he is the system. Same with Jokic, Lillard, Harden, Embiid, Giannis (somewhat), KD, Kyrie, there's a lotta guys who I wouldn't consider a system player to the same extent that Kawhi is.

Any system that 'is Kyrie' is an awfully bad one. Replace him with someone legit like Luka.

[Heej]

Everyone is a system player by this board's standards, except maybe LeBron, and that's a big maybe.

No, Curry isn't a system player he is the system. Same with Jokic, Lillard, Harden, Embiid, Giannis (somewhat), KD, Kyrie, there's a lotta guys who I wouldn't consider a system player to the same extent that Kawhi is.

Any system that 'is Kyrie' is an awfully bad one. Replace him with someone legit like Luka.

Lmao I ain't arguing with that point

[dhsilv2]

He's an all nba level player who looks better when he's around elite teams, just like EVERY SINGLE PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY (who was all nba or really even non ones)!

[Cavsfansince84]

Not so much that he's a system player or that he needs stacked teams. What he does need is teams which already have good chemistry and other guys to sort of maintain it over the course of a season. Also teams which can probably win without him to some degree due to his load management.

[Stillwater]

he isnt but his team was terrible in this series just terrible, so him playing bad in a lose& go fishing or go get swept against Lebron up next he opted to forfeit imo not even trying to win in game 7 I mean you cannot look at what he has done in the playoffs up till then and say game 7 wasnt him quiting on them

Lol so are you saying it was ok for him to forfeit game 7 cause his team was terrible?

hell no...but I think its exactly what he did given his performance was blatently bad compared to his normal production...
better to lose early on when everyone else is also playing poorly than to get swept in the WCF

[DonaldSanders]

How could anybody vote yes? Such a dumb question.

Were the Raptors “stacked”?

He has only won by joining pre-built teams where he doesn't need to be a leader or primary offensive creator. System player is a funky way of putting it though. He needs vocal leaders who are shot creators, cuz he is neither.

If you add a top 10 star to the Raptors, yeah they're stacked. The Raps just needed a little more this post season to get to the conference finals.

[DonaldSanders]

What happened to his defense...man he looked nothing like he did during his years on the Spurs on that end of the floor.

That's what happens when you have to put in more effort on the offensive end. Look at Kobe, heck even James Harden can play OK defense when he has the energy/will sometimes.

On the Spurs he didn't have do much offensively, so he could really focus on defense.

[LesGrossman]

How could anybody vote yes? Such a dumb question.

Were the Raptors “stacked”?

They were, according to the lebron crowd which would do whatever it takes to downplay Kawhi's role; and also according to some of the GSW crowd. And those in the Spurs crowd who were salty over his departure and also looked to harm his image. Everyone else who is honest enough will remember that the raptors were considered a joke, a one trick pony, a team that looks good in the regular season just to choke in the playoffs, consistently. That went on so long, and as far as i remember, exactly two details were changed - the coach, and DeRozan for Kawhi swap. And suddenly they win a title with that "stacked" team.

[Joao Saraiva]

Kawih needs a playmaker. He and Paul George are not a terrible fit, but they also don't add to each other's game.

Then he also needs a good rim protector since he can't provide that.

Also good coaching, that is something that is underrated nowadays.

From there on he needs what every player needs... players who can spread the floor and create, good bench... but those are not musts.