Kawhi vs LeBron

[trueballer7]

if you give Lebron/Kawhi weak supporting casts, there's no doubt in my mind Lebron will do more with that kind of supporting cast. It's harder to answer the question as the talent around them increases up to championship-level.

I think if you're trying to maximize the peak-production out of your team with strong supporting casts, Kawhi will be a better option (this is Kawhi at his best).

That is probably true, but only when it comes to median competition and regular season mostly. Players like Lebron (Wilt, Shaq etc), are a guarrantee that you will have a succesful regular season and be the favorite against most teams, more so than the players like Kawhi. They are too much for the ordinary opponent to handle.
But when it comes to playing against good teams, with good talent and a competent coaching stuff in the knockout stage, Kawhi is more valuable. The physically dominant players leave little room for adjustment and optimum team play. With Lebron, you would just let him shoot and clog the paint when his supporting cast is weaker or let him drive endlessly and shut down the shooters when the supporting cast is elite, and both strategies will be certifiably succesful. On the other hand there is no obvious way you could capitalize on Kawhis' basketball attributes to gain the advantage.

[pr0wler]

Y'all really forgot what LeBron was huh ? Laughable thread. Kawhi ain't on peak LeBron level..

Dude, LeBron was only been relevant from 2003 to 2018! And was only the best player in the league for about 10 years.

An amazing 22 game sample that recently happened (Kawhi) is much more important than the nearly 2 decades of excellence of LeBron.

[toodles23]

Kawhi is easily better.

Why? Mainly due to defensive longevity, consistency, and impact, and then just being a more skilled and reliable jumpshooter from the assortment, and also being a better off the ball player offensively.

The difference there is where there is clear separation between Kawhi and LeBron, and it goes to Kawhi. Is LeBron more adept at chasedown blocks than Kawhi? Yes, but that doesn't make him a better defensive player.

Kawhi's a superior FT shooter.

Kawhi's been a more consistent and efficient jumpshooter, whereas LeBron is more streaky and can at times just be off for a whole game or stretches of games. Kawhi has a jumpshot package in terms of reliability and strength of ability, at the level of Kobe/Jordan.

Kawhi has a 3P shot capability and consistency at the level of few we've seen in his mold of a wing player. A benefit of the Spurs offensive system and staff, and the newish NBA.

Also, due to how Kawhi was utilized early on with the Spurs and again with their system, he expanded and polished his game off the ball.. similar to how Kobe/Jordan were used without the ball in the triangle.. putting their length, size, and awareness to use.

LeBron, regardless of team, never really has been an off the ball player. Partly due to team make-up influencing that, but also influenced by LeBron himself, his mindset and preferences for the offense, I'd say from what I've gathered, and always having the ball on offense initially, or getting it mid-shot-clock, on majority of the team's possessions from game to game. The most you can say he played off the ball was with Miami.

LeBron is a more adept slasher, finisher, and passer up to this point, for obvious reasons.. LeBron's 3P has gotten individually better since 2016-2017 and forward, but not at the level of Kawhi's has been since 2013-2014, and especially since 2016.

The drop off offensively between the two, to Kawhi from LeBron, isn't too much, overall. Since Kawhi is still an elite, all-round offensive player himself. Both have their areas offensively where one is definitely better than the other -- but both can really do it all offensively.

Defensively, again, there isn't really a contest or comparison.

To get a bucket in the paint, or set up someone else, I'll go with LeBron (up to this point).

To get a defensive stop, I'm taking Kawhi every time, and every time since 2012.

To get a bucket, in the form of a jumpshot or trip to the line, I'm taking Kawhi.

LOL

[lambchop]

"To get a bucket I'm taking Kawhi" meanwhile not a single bucket was gotten in the 4th quarter of game 7.

Up 82-65 in game 5 with a 3-1 lead and he still lost. Guys were trying so hard with Kawhi but I'm sure he'll be back next playoffs after sitting out 65% of the regular season to be ready for "the real games".

[Homer38]

LeBron was much better in the playoffs in 2017 and 2018 in the playoffs than Kawhi was in 2019 ... Just because Kawhi was in a great team and playing against a worse warriors team don't change that.

At least 5 players had better finals than Kawhi last year since 2017 (LBJ, Davis, Butler this year, KD in 2017 and 2018 and LBJ in 2017). It was a classic overreaction for those who said that Kawhi was in an invincible zone

[Homer38]

For peaks kawhi is the GOAT SF not LeBron. Kawhi has a washed up offensively marc gasol, Siakam who is pretty much another larry Hughes, Lowry with a broken hand and he's beating historic teams like 76ers bucks warriors. Kawhi is having the goat playoff peak, lebrons only argument is longevity.

The raptors are only at least a 55 wins teams without Kawhi.

[Homer38]

This run by Kawhi is more impressive than any run by LeBron.

LBJ had at least 5 better playoffs run that 2019 Kawhi even before 2020(2009,2012,2016-2018)

[Side beard]

LeBron had more help with Kyrie and Love, and bunch of shooters. And Warriors were banged up, You bring up Embiid injury, then do the same with that 2016 Warriors team, and Draymond suspension etc.

Lmao at “banged up warriors” as an argument in kawhis favour

Warriors didn't even have Durant back then. Igoudala had injuries, just like now, and Bogut missed last two games. Draymond got suspended in a pivotal gamne.

So Warriors need 4 all stars just to compete h2h with 1 Lebron. Gotcha.

[Arrow]

I honestly don't understand the hype around Kawhi's '19 run. The raw/advanced/impact stats doesn't paint his run as anything special and he had the benefit of taking 25% of the regular season off to be well rested for the playoffs. I don't even think his playoffs were better than '13 LeBron, and that's widely considered his worst championship run, so it's not even in the same league as his '12, '16, and '20 playoffs.

And of course this season, as the heavy favorites, he choked a 3-1 lead against the Nuggets. He scored 0 points in the 4th Q in game 7 (second time in the series), and made just 1 FG in the second half. Oh, and LeBron outscored Kawhi AND PG combined in their last respective game against Denver, 38-24.

[Arman_tanzarian]

Kawhi is easily better.

Why? Mainly due to defensive longevity, consistency, and impact, and then just being a more skilled and reliable jumpshooter from the assortment, and also being a better off the ball player offensively.

The difference there is where there is clear separation between Kawhi and LeBron, and it goes to Kawhi. Is LeBron more adept at chasedown blocks than Kawhi? Yes, but that doesn't make him a better defensive player.

Kawhi's a superior FT shooter.

Kawhi's been a more consistent and efficient jumpshooter, whereas LeBron is more streaky and can at times just be off for a whole game or stretches of games. Kawhi has a jumpshot package in terms of reliability and strength of ability, at the level of Kobe/Jordan.

Kawhi has a 3P shot capability and consistency at the level of few we've seen in his mold of a wing player. A benefit of the Spurs offensive system and staff, and the newish NBA.

Also, due to how Kawhi was utilized early on with the Spurs and again with their system, he expanded and polished his game off the ball.. similar to how Kobe/Jordan were used without the ball in the triangle.. putting their length, size, and awareness to use.

LeBron, regardless of team, never really has been an off the ball player. Partly due to team make-up influencing that, but also influenced by LeBron himself, his mindset and preferences for the offense, I'd say from what I've gathered, and always having the ball on offense initially, or getting it mid-shot-clock, on majority of the team's possessions from game to game. The most you can say he played off the ball was with Miami.

LeBron is a more adept slasher, finisher, and passer up to this point, for obvious reasons.. LeBron's 3P has gotten individually better since 2016-2017 and forward, but not at the level of Kawhi's has been since 2013-2014, and especially since 2016.

The drop off offensively between the two, to Kawhi from LeBron, isn't too much, overall. Since Kawhi is still an elite, all-round offensive player himself. Both have their areas offensively where one is definitely better than the other -- but both can really do it all offensively.

Defensively, again, there isn't really a contest or comparison.

To get a bucket in the paint, or set up someone else, I'll go with LeBron (up to this point).

To get a defensive stop, I'm taking Kawhi every time, and every time since 2012.

To get a bucket, in the form of a jumpshot or trip to the line, I'm taking Kawhi.

LOL

Lmaoo homie wrote an essay of points made up in his own head.

"Defensive longevity" lol..I love kawhi, he gave my team the only title it has but wth does that even mean? Kahwi and any brand of longevity doesn't belong in the same sentence.. he barely played any defense aside from some spot stuff in the playoffs for years too. Bron been a better defender than Kawhi for the last two years

[milkii]

Even though I hate fake ass LeBron, I can admit that Lebron is better than Kawhi.

[The Duke]

Kawhi messed up his potential claim as GOAT leaving Toronto, when they had a squad to repeat and put up a good opposition vs a Lebron-led Lakers

[Down3223]

[Jabroni Lames]

Kawhi messed up his potential claim as GOAT leaving Toronto, when they had a squad to repeat and put up a good opposition vs a Lebron-led Lakers

Raptors with Kawhi easily steamroll the Lakers. You put Siakam back to his Pippen role and Toronto is rolling out a championship tested, 9-deep rotation with elite defense, 2-way players from top to bottom, and a legit take-over superstar. You'd have 4 quality starters coming off the bench. Sheesh. And remember, if Kawhi stays, so would Danny Green.

Gasol, Siakam, Kawhi, Green, Lowry
Ibaka, OG, Powell, VanVleet

That's a scary lineup to face in the playoffs.