If believed to be healthy, go ahead and select Leonard in the first or second round. Leonard has always been labeled an elite defensive presence, and that was further evidenced by his 1.8 steals per game (8th in the NBA), but his continued improvement on the offensive side of the ball was especially encouraging, with his 25.5 points and 3.5 assists per contest again marking new career highs for the 26-year-old forward. What about the other Spurs, or could Lakers/Celtics players change their values? In the postseason, Leonard started 14 games and averaged 27.1 minutes per contest. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. I wouldn't ⦠At 6'7" and 230 pounds he's a big and powerful wing. Can Kawhi Leonard reverse his own trend? Signed a five-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard's efficient play makes him an elite fantasy player despite the fact that he only has one elite categrory for fantasy production, steals. Arguably his best playoff performance came in Game 6 against Dallas, when Leonard posted 33 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and five steals. He played two seasons of college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs and was named a ⦠That created tensions between himself, his teammates, his coaching staff and the fans, which eventually resulted in a relationship that was so far damaged that it was beyond repair. Chasing Stats: Rui Hachimura has some Kawhi Leonard in his game NBC Sports Washington 01:04 5-Mar-21. Leonard achieved the first 40-point game of his career on Jan. 21, finishing with 41 points, six rebounds and five assists in a win over Cleveland. His greatest value comes in nine-category leagues that factor in turnovers and percentages. Meanwhile, Leonard continued to dominate on the defensive end as one of the league's premier wing defenders. He has four older sisters. San Antonio brought in LaMarcus Aldridge on a max deal last summer to help take the torch from the team’s trio of aging stars (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili), but it was Leonard who stole the show and emerged as the Spurs’ alpha dog. In the Raptors' clinching Game 6 victory on the road, Leonard finished with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals en route to his second Finals MVP award. Clippers 128, Cavaliers 103 âCleveland had no answer for either Kawhi Leonard or Lou Williams, as they shot a combined 24-of-35 from the field. © 2009-2019 numberFire, Inc. Certain headlines thanks to Rotoworld. In his sophomore season, Leonard paced the Aztecs to 19 straight wins before they lost to BYU. The team is also so deep that they could opt to rest their players even more than usualy this season. As expected, Leonard missed 15 games due to injury and load management, but he still returned first-round value on a total production basis in eight-category leagues. All indications are that Leonard will continue to be rested for the remainder of his career as he deals with a quad injury that initially flared up during his final season with the Spurs. Leonard was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Team for the fifth time in his eight-year career. It's a strong landing spot for Leonard considering he's joining a team that finished with the best overall record in the Eastern Conference last season and is set up for another playoff run. Leonard is out Tuesday against the Celtics due to back spasms. Regardless of your format, Leonard is an emerging superstar, and even with Pop's minute restrictions, Leonard was able to turn in a diverse, fantasy-friendly stat line. Leonard took his already-potent offensive game to another level during his 2015-16 campaign with the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard donated the car he received along with 2014-15 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award to Respite Care, a center providing aid for children in need. During the first round of the playoffs against the Mavericks, Leonard averaged 32.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.3 steals. Leonard's value depends a lot on your league format, as his ability to help in all nine categories suits rotisserie leagues more than head-to-head or points formats. The real mystery comes regarding his current health. The Clippers have another back-to-back set this week, so expect Leonard to again hit the sidelines for either Friday's game in Minnesota or Saturday's game in Chicago. Leonard saved his best for last, posting per-game averages of 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals in the Spurs' five-game romp over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Leonard (back) went for 22 points (7-14 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), five rebounds and three assists over 32 minutes during Thursday's loss to the Wizards. Leonard was pulled from the starting lineup Tuesday against the Celtics but has not been ruled out for the contest. Does Kawhi Leonard gain value? A major reason for Leonard's leap as a scorer was his improvement as a three-point shooter. In addition, he averaged 1.7 steals per game as he continued to build a reputation as a lockdown defender. He was never a 30 percent three-point shooter in college, so his 37.6 percent mark for the 2011-12 season was quite an improvement. He also earned All-NBA Second Team honors while finishing ninth in Most Valuable Player voting. Leonard averaged a double-double to go along with 1.4 steals per game last season for San Diego St. He will provide the Spurs with some much needed youth, but he will open as the backup behind Richard Jefferson. When Kawhi sits this year, it seems to me that most of us will have replacement options on our bench. Kawhi Leonard took on an expanded role in his second NBA season. For his efforts during the regular season, Leonard made the All-NBA Second Team. Learn more about Leonard by following him on Twitter (@kawhileonard). Leonard shot 52 percent from the field on 9.8 attempts and 80 percent from the line on 1.9 attempts. He set new career bests with 27.1 points, 2.2 threes and 4.9 assists per game while making his fourth All-Star team in five years -- and getting named MVP of the All-Star Game. However, he still led the team to a 58-24 record and the No. If he can avoid the injuries that have limited him the past two seasons, he has the potential to be a top-10 fantasy stud. He averaged a career-best 1.8 treys per game and shot 44.3 percent from deep, third-best in the NBA. Leonard played intermittently throughout the remainder of the month, finishing December with per-game averages of 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in six games. (Sacramento Kings won the match). Kawhi Leonard became the first superstar to switch teams immediately after winning a championship.. Leonard also racked up 12 double-doubles and a Jan. 24 triple-double against Miami in which he collected 33 points, 10 boards and 10 assists. On the rosier side of maybes, there's also a possibility that Leonard takes another step in his development on offense and has even more plays run for him this season to create a true tandem attack with Aldridge. Although nagging injuries have been a problem for Leonard, he has improved his production each season he has been in the league. Leonard's Thursday projection includes 28.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. George and Leonard were the only players with their own security details, Leonard lived in San Diego and commuted to Los Angeles for practices and games, Leonard ⦠Even if he comes off the bench, Chris Boucher is in a good spot to produce for the shorthanded Raptors on Thursday. In Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Leonard notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists in a win over Portland. We'll also hit on our June fantasy mock draft. Leonard himself is coming off a severely sprained ankle that he suffered during the playoffs back in May, forcing him to miss the final three games of the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors. He played 23 playoff games, averaging 14.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. 2020 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench, 2020 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be on opposing teams in the 2021 All-Star Game Clips Nation (Weblog) 03:31 5-Mar-21. On the Ballot; Established Members; 1,544 3,517 posts; Location: Jurassic Park; Share; Posted January 27. Across his 57 games (all starts) for the Clippers during the regular season, Leonard scored at least 20 points on 48 occasions and cleared 30 in 21 of those games. These are fine numbers, but we know Popovich won't give him that many minutes in the regular season, as he likes to keep his guys rested and spread out minutes when the games don't mean as much. Leonard will be active for the last game before All-Star break after back spasms forced Los Angeles' star forward to miss one game. Kawhi Leonard was in a similar position Sunday, and while Carterâs shot missed the mark Leonardâs didnât, with it taking four bounces on the rim before falling through the basket. Unfortunately, an ankle injury derailed Leonard in Game 1 of the series against Golden State. Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images. NFL Home; Season Tools; League Sync; Player News; Headlines; Live Odds Main navigation. Leonard rode the momentum of an NBA Finals MVP award to his finest regular season to date during his 2014-15 campaign with the Spurs. Being the only player on the Spurs' roster that averaged more than 30 minutes per game last season, the Defensive Player of the Year has solidified himself as the face of the future for San Antonio. The forward had double-doubles in his first five games and finished with 23 on the season. Leonard had a strong campaign during his first year with the Clippers alongside Paul George. During the 2016-17 season, Leonard started 74 games -- the most of his career -- and averaged a career-high 33.4 minutes per contest. One possible area for regression is Leonard’s three-point shooting. By registering, you indicate that you agree to the Terms Of Service. He set career highs in numerous statistical categories, including points (16.5), rebounds (7.2) and assists (2.5) per game. In the playoffs, Leonard started all 10 of San Antonio's contests. Pop did say Kawhi is "very close" and participating in "contact" work. Pop said he's "probably not gonna consult" with Tony Parker about when Kawhi Leonard will return. Leonard continued to score efficiently, making 48.5 percent of his field-goal attempts, including 38.0 percent of his tries from beyond the arc. Leonard joined San Diego State to play for coach Steve Fisher after growing up near Los Angeles. Signed a rookie contract with the San Antonio Spurs. One of his cousins, Stevie Johnson, played in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers. Jump to content. In his first season with the Raptors following a trade from San Antonio, Leonard earned his third All-Star bid and was the driving force behind the Raptors' first NBA championship. Led by Leonard's dominant play, San Antonio reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2014. He also converted 88.0 percent of his free-throw attempts, the highest mark of his career. He averaged a career-best 21.2 points per contest while shooting over 50 percent from the field for the second time in his NBA tenure. The San Diego State University product tallied a career-best 14 double-doubles during the campaign, including a 17-point performance against Denver on Jan. 20 in which he grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds. The Clippers got bounced earlier than expected in the postseason, blowing a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets in the second round. Leonard also emerged as a steady outside shooter, drilling 1.1 three-pointers per contest and shooting 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. After a nine-game 2017-18 campaign that ended with a trade demand out of San Antonio, Leonard had a successful of a 2018-19 season as possible with Toronto. While coach Gregg Popovich's constant desire to rest his players looms large, Leonard is coming off a 2016-17 campaign where he played a career-high 74 games. That translated to averages of 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.0 three-pointers across 33.4 minutes, which secured Leonard a spot as a finalist for league MVP honors alongside James Harden and Russell Westbrook.