Kawhi’s size and strength allow him to shoot over other shooting guards and small forwards. Michael Jordan was 6-foot-6, 216 pounds with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. Kawhi is stronger than Kobe and has the infamous huge hands that gave Jordan an edge. Physically, Kawhi Leonard is 6-foot-7, 230 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. However, he does not get as much attention for his offensive game because he is less flashy than most elite scores. He can shoot the 3 and drive to the basket on any defender. He controls his pace offensively and is always consistent. Not only can Kawhi be the best scorer on the floor in a given game, but he does not have to take a ton of shots to do so. Offensively, Kawhi’s efficiency is what separates him from other elite shooting guards and small forwards. If Kawhi took as many shots as Kobe Bryant, he would probably average more points. While Kobe is arguably better than Kawhi offensively, he is not as efficient as Kawhi on the floor. Kobe, at 27, averaged 28 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3 in the playoffs. So far in the playoffs this season, Kawhi Leonard is averaging 32.3 points on 59 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range. He never seems to get worried or flustered when he is playing. Kawhi Leonard exhibits a level of offensive dominance that few shooting guards or small forwards have been able to match. Kawhi Leonard won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP for his lockdown defense against LeBron James while playing on the same team as three other Hall of Fame players. Kobe Bryant was an excellent defender however, he is not as good defensively as Kawhi Leonard or MJ. In the 2016-17 season, Kawhi was not only the Defensive Player of the Year, but he averaged over 25 points per game in the regular season and averaged 27.7 points per game in the playoffs on 56 percent shooting from 3 and 53 percent from the field. There have only been three players to ever win a Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Michael Jordan. Jordan was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team nine times, won Defensive Player of the Year once and led the league in steals on three occasions. While MJ was a scoring machine, most fans forget about how good defensively he was throughout his career. Kawhi is often overlooked in how his game resembles MJ’s during his prime who was arguably the best offensive and defensive player at his position. NBA Rumors: 4 teams that should overpay for James Harden this offseason.NBA Rumors: Did the Toronto Raptors fire Nick Nurse to hire Ime Udoka?.Memphis Grizzlies: 4 decisive keys to Game 3 NBA Mock Draft 8.0: Raptors take a high-risk prospect Lakers get a steal in round 1.NBA Trade Rumors: Raptors willing to move anyone not named Scottie Barnes?.
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