Where would you rank Kawhi all-time? Also! - sign up and deposit for Underdog HERE with promo code ANDY to get up to $1,000 in bonus cash and a free pick: play.underdogfantasy.com/p-andy-hoops
When I saw the video title I thought: "Is this even a question?" Then I thought about it for a second. It's been 10 years since Kawhi was healthy. Time flies fast. There are NBA fans that never even saw that version of Kawhi.
@@MoralesCorner I think Bill Walton might be a good comp though. Walton also won a Finals MVP and 6MOY. I think Roy was on a great trajectory but yeah, was likely on a tier lower than both.
@@yajeelyeah but Walton's career before the injury and after that finals MVP was quite short, and once he managed to came back he was just a serviceable sixth man. Kawhi has been more productive than him and he keeps coming back playing great after every injury, only to eventually get injured again. But I get what you're referring to with that comparison. Honestly I think Kawhi's case is unlike any other we have ever seen. A player that can be the best player in the league when he's healthy, then get injured when it matters the most, then come back again still showing how great he is.
@@MoralesCorner Yeah, I can see that. I agree it's strange that whenever Kawhi comes back, he looks great again. Usually guys with degenerative issues come back looking like a shell of themselves.
As a Raptors fan, I will never forget him leading the team to its first championship. It's a shame that he left cause they would have likely repeated and the medical staff would have done a better job at taking care of his knees. Perhaps COVID-19 would have never hit if he stayed.
Honestly hearing Danny Green say that every member of that roster was wanted to run it back except for Kawhi who refused (he wanted to be close to family in LA which is 100% fair), is one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever heard about the Raptors. We would’ve had a great shot at two-peating.
People assume a lot about Kawhi's intentions. PG on his podcast describes the hypothetical other version of the PG-Kawhi team, where they're both in Toronto. It was something they tried to put together, ultimately going with the Clippers' version, but it wasn't out of the question to stay in Toronto.
Spurs Kawhi isn’t talked about enough and the path he was on to becoming a Top 4-5 player in the nba and world. Back to back DPOY and was literally getting better in every statistical category.
Just watching that clip makes me pissed, when peoole talk about kawhi they always mostly talk about either his first Fmvp, Toronto year, or clippers but hardly ever bring up that in 2017 he was starting to turn into easy 2nd best player in league before that bs injury.
One of the lowest moments for that GSW legendary squad. We all know Zaza did it on purpose. They are a way dirtier team that people likes to point out cause you know that wasn't fortuitous or Zaza's own decision. The team knew what they were about to do
I’m Excited to Finally See Kawhi Leonard get Some Recognition of his Greatness. They Spinned the Narrative on Him once he Joined LA, but we Can’t Deny the Fact That He’s a 2x Champion, 2X Defensive Player of the Year, A 6x All Star with more to come, & a Guaranteed Future 1st Ballot Hall of Famer. He Gave Toronto Their First Ring Beating a Stacked Warriors Team, & Beat Prime Lebron in San Antonio. Kawhi has Always Been A Very Efficient Scorer Too, I Remember one year he was close to a 50 40 90 season.
When Kawhi was relatively healthy, he was one of the best two way players in the league. It’s a shame he can never stay healthy because when he’s at his best, you can’t stop him.
-- If we picking best NON-MVPS, he's basically MJ Lite. There are better careers out there, but the man can get buckets whenever he wants, lockdown the best defender, and yeah he is nothing like MJ in terms of dunking, but if I had to pick for *ONE* season to build a team around (out of guys like: Tmac, Kobe, Kawhi, Wade, Curry, SGA, Harden, etc), I'd pick KAWHI.
@@rockysalvatore435 I have kawhi over curry on peak too, but what curry does on offense alone brings him into these elite discussions but of the huge impact he has.
Coming off an almost season long injury, he joined a new team for just a year, and won them a championship. And he beat the two other best teams in the East to do it. That should you how good he really was.
Definitely a Hall of Fame player. It's just a shame injuries prevented us from seeing more of what he can do. His no-nonsense approach to playing is what made me love him
@@bandito241 He is. We agree about that. But i have to say, i see no real value in giving a top 10 player performance once or twice a month. There are like 80-120 other players, who can explode and give a rare super performance once in while. Those other guys don't get noticed enough for being only solid the other nites, while still being way more valuable than Kawhi, who is just absent.
It is certainly hard to judge Kawhi's greatness. If we going skill for skill, he's definitely one of the best players we've ever seen on both ends of the floor. That along with the fact that he's a two time finals MVP with two different franchises should put him inside the top 15, maybe even top 10 players ever. But if we look at his total numbers and the overall impact, he just hasn't been dominant for enough seasons to be in that category. Whatever you want to do, he's one of the most talented players ever, has proven he can be the best in the league at times, and he's such a special character that moves unlike most players outside of the court.
@@aymane.bencheikh -- lol. I've watched several dozen of Andy's vids. This is my first time seeing his face too. I'm not a diehard fan but I am a healthy supporter of AndyHoops.
As a Spurs fan I really miss Kawhi on the team even if things ended badly, he was, fundamentally speaking, the closest or second closest person to MJ, it sucks he couldn’t have a similar or even better career due to his injuries
Love Kawhi's game! Healthy Kawhi is definitely in the conversation for top 1-3 player in the league! He made defense fun to watch. When Danny Green and Kawhi went for the double block, I knew we had something special in Toronto.
I was internally crying when I saw that. I was crying for my spurs. that was our backcourt. There they were, snuffing the life out of some hapless mvp level player like they do year in and year out, but this time, for toronto and not san antonio anymore.
Legit one of the best defensive and offensive player in his position when healthy. It's only matter of a second his career will wine down with injuries on his ankles again. If he adjusted his game for the most to stay in a disgruntled team.
Kawhi was so great, he chose to leave a team he likely would’ve taken to back-to-back finals. And he knew it. You could see it in that pi$$ed off look on his face on the bench in game 7 against Denver in the bubble. Without him, the Raps were literally a shot away from the conference finals.
I think that in additon to his massive wingspan it's important to mention how large his hands are and how it definitely gives him a defensive edge against players.
As a Sixers fan, i was completely devastated after the buzzer beater against the 76ers in the 2019 playoffs. Nonetheless, he was indeed a player to watch back in 2019, and he delivered a championship
I just remembered the "Kawhi Island" where the best player on the opposing team will just stand at the corner so that their offense will not be disrupted by Kawhi..
I don't know whether it's still true or not but last year, Kawhi had had more Finals MVP Trophies (2) than triple-doubles (1) in his career. Which I reckon is totally awesome.
For me personally Kawhi already achieved the absolute best a player can acheiev. I mean, the dude literally carried toronto (injured). He couldve achieved much more if not due to injuries, but as far as his career goes, hes a beast in history already
Brother andy hoops i just wanted to tell you have the best content when it comes to basketball I’m originally from the UK but you literally put me on basketball i’ve been watching you for a good 3-4 years your content is so brilliant you analyse the game so brilliantly keep it up brother ❤️
Prime Kawhi was like Larry Fitzgerald but without the Santonio Holmes catch, meaning he won the championship on an unbelievably dominant playoff run that would have him justifiably compared to the best of all time at his role
Kawhi Leonard, definitely one of the all-time greats. I mean, who could forget all those seasons where he sat out with injuries and managed his workload like he was on paid vacation? And those ‘impressive’ point totals? Truly the stuff of legends… or maybe just ‘meh’ on a good day. And sure, people say his game is Jordan-esque, but I guess that's if you squint really hard and ignore, you know, Michael Jordan’s actual level. But hey, close enough, right?
honestly a sadder fall than Westbrook. Russ was always electric in his prime but Kawhi in 2019 was THE MAN. there was jordan talk already with him just bc of that one run with the raptors. now the guy is a shell of himself barely plays and always gets hurt in the playoffs
Nah fr tho, he was the greatest all around player I’ve seen at his peak. An absolute monster on all parts of the floor. I’ve never watched Jordan so I can’t speak on him. The thing about Kawhi was he could stop anyone, but nobody was slowing him down. The Raptors playoff run was a great example of this. Unfortunately dude was rarely ever 80%, especially during his prime.
Kawhi on the raptors showed that load management could work especially for Kawhi coming off that last year in San Antonio where he was injured That load management season helped Kawhi go on that legendary playoff run and eventually earning Canada a ring
zaza pacheapshot was the real Mvp on that 2017 warriors, real hoopers and fans know spurs gonna dominate that warriors team even with durant, Pop knows all Kerr's tricks.
At Kawhi's peak he was absolutely the best player in the league hence the best player in the world. Pre-injury Kawhi was trending to eclipse all other players ever to challenge Jordan, Kareem, Lebron, Bill Russell for the title of Greatest player ever. Kawhi is in my all time starting 5.
His tendons literally swell from use. He has to allow the swelling to go down to even walk normally, let alone play basketball at the highest level. And yet he still does that. Put some respect on his name and understand the medical realities he faces every single day.
Kawhi woulda been a top 10-15 alltime player if he didn’t get hurt so much, think he wins 2021 & 2023 if healthy and maybe he could have had an MVP on his resume too
If you ever wonder how would MJ be in the modern era. Look no further than this guy. A two way menace that has all the skills and a physical specimen. Just up his speed and athleticsm and you got Prime MJ on your hands. Sad he just can't stay on the court but when he does, he is the best player there.
Imo I'd rather have Kawhi over KD, I know KD is a near 7ft all around bucket, but Kawhi is a 6'7 2 way demon who is elite at scoring and defense, developed a good 3pt shot and a great mid range, same wingspan as Giannis and Olajuwon, and also good in the post, very strong player also his teammates have said
It’s sad he could of been top 8-15 player of all time man definitely beating Gianni’s in the finals so I think he gets one more rings at least and that’s another finals mvp too
Kawhi at his peak was top 3 in the world. And he wasn’t 2 or 3. From a Spurs fan, and without hate. The young man got me a chip on the best team I’ve ever seen play ball.
Kawhi Leonard was one of the best players in the basketball history but his injuries are his hindrances in his career,good friends!!!I want to see him flourishing in my chosen team Los Angeles Clippers injury free for goodness sake and for the rest of his career,good friends!!!🙏
If he would have stayed with the Raptors it would have been East finals every year. But if he would have needed us to get George for him to stay the depth might not have been there. But his peak was scary two-way play.
For the 2016-17 part of this video, Kawhi Leonard's injury in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals against Golden State was all thanks to Zaza Pachulia. If it wasn't for him, not only would Leonard have still been the silent killer for the rest of the 2017 postseason, but the Spurs would've been in that season's NBA Finals as well.
Kawhi was a player that was always in the right situation. Won FMVP with the Spurs as the 4th option. Got traded to the #1 team in the East after LeBron, the reaosn the Raptors couldn't win left the East. Faced an injured GS in the finals. Gets traded to the Clippers to actually build something from scratch and has been a no show.
he was the First Option. In 2013 Playoffs by the Finals he averaged 15 points on no plays called Making him the best scorer in the NBA. Then in 2014 they gave him some plays and he averages 17 in the season then 24 in the Finals on 80% shooting giving him the Best Scoring Finals in NBA history. That with only 2 plays called. Spurs would just steal the ball every time Mainly Kawhi and then he would pass it to Parker or Duncan. Everyone was fastbreaking so it didn't matter who got the ball they were winning by 50 every game.
At his peak Great player, top 3 defender in the league (if not the best), top 10 offensive player at best (bron, kd, Steph, harden, lillard were all ahead of him offensively) He won the title with spurs as a system player, while the title with raptors were largely credited to injuries to warriors. Yes injuries is part of the game but they don’t stand a chance against a healthy warriors.
In the Playoffs it's all about Slashing to the hoop. Jumpers stop falling in the playoffs. So he's better offensively than Lillard, KD, bron harden and steph. Steph is the only real shooter in the bunch that can make them in the playoffs but Put Kawhi on him and curry gets 2 points while Kawhi still gets his 25 in the playoffs all on Dunks all in the second half. KAwhi is much better offensively and even Popovich said that and was asked then why not give him 100 shots a game. Pop said He's our Secret Weapon and that is how you win. Have 4 Guys average 20 while one is capable of 100 if asked. Lillard and Harden would've rode the Bench in San Antonio just like McGrady who average 27 the year before in Houston then goes to Popovich's Team where everyone gets 20 ppg and there is Balance among the shots taken to build Team Chemistry.
@@JimBrave-ri1oc holding Steph to 2 point is a joke without his other offensive players in gsw, they basically guarded Steph with box-1, no other nba team use that because teams have multiple weapons except for injury riddled gsw that series Ask him try doing that to a full roster gsw team 🤣 And steph still avg 2 more points than kawhi that series He avg 28 against gsw without KD for much of the series
@@karkitliu9951 This Jim Brave guy is way too delusional on most of his takes... saying Shaq's stronger than Prime Wilt. LOL!!! You're right that the Raptors were just obnoxiously lucky during 2019...
Probably the most disappointing player of the 2020s, you know he's extremely good you know the guy is one of the best in the world but he's always injured, some players will try and play in the playoffs if they are injured but not this guy, if he has a slight tick in his knee he's not gonna play the next game.
When talking about "what if" one thing that is worth thinking about is whether Kawhi was going to have his health problems if not foe the unlucky landing on zaza feet
Boy oh boy we've actually gotten to that point where people already start to forget how good a healthy version of this guy is that we're doing these sorts of videos now
Jaylen Brown BREAKDOWN you're next video Andy Hoops 😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤
I remember when peak Leonard missed 2 free throws in game 7 of the NBA finals in the last 30 seconds against the Miami Heat and cost the Spurs a championship and a dynasty. So he couldn't have been that good.
Honestly, the best defender in this modern era. When you put fear into Lebron James, that means a lot. If he was healthy, i think we would be talking about if he is the GOAT. That Raptors run was legendary.
Hmm, Andy rarely shows his face. And as for Kawhi, he was unstoppable at his peak, and still was when there's a healthy Kawhi. But he became a glass after joining the Clippers.
Kawhi came into the league with limites offensive game so his offense was prsctically built from scratch He basically build it thr proper so at times robotic and boring to watch but everything was the mosr efficient way
he hasn't been anything like 2017 Kawhi since about 2019. He used to dunk form the foul line in games and block shots off the top of the back board. Kawhi was the most athletic player in the NBA from 2012-2020 and now he's maybe like the 60th most athletic in the league.
Where would you rank Kawhi all-time? Also! - sign up and deposit for Underdog HERE with promo code ANDY to get up to $1,000 in bonus cash and a free pick: play.underdogfantasy.com/p-andy-hoops
All time for sure top 30
Post 2000s era top 15
Can't realistically rank him because his body stopped cooperating & not just that he seemed to lose his desire for the game of 🏀.......IMO 🤔!!
I put him top 25
When I saw the video title I thought: "Is this even a question?" Then I thought about it for a second. It's been 10 years since Kawhi was healthy. Time flies fast. There are NBA fans that never even saw that version of Kawhi.
All time not as high as he's supposed to be, but he was one of the best of this era with kd, lebron, steph
Toronto Kawhi was one of those “you had to be there” moments
🎯🎯🎯
Ill be bringing this up in 40 years when talking about best playoff runs ever.
And no slouch in the stats looking back. 31ppg on 62% TS for the entire run.
That 2019 run was special, as special as Dirk’s in 2011
Kawhi is one of my favorite players just for what he did to Embiid in 2019
Embiid ?? WTF you weird
@@growing.grounds4054i mean, it always warms my heart to see a massive 7'1 flopper and dirty player to get sent home
@@growing.grounds4054Embiid is a weirdo
Imagine hating on an athlete who wants nothing more than to bring another title to Philly
the pitied MVP was being carried/dragged/saved by Jimmy in that series.
One of the great "What Ifs" with regard to health... Joining the ranks of Bill Walton and Brandon Roy, among others.
Ben Simmons
He's a two times finals MVP. He hasn't been available nearly as much as we would like but you can't compare him with Walton nor B Roy
@@MoralesCorner I think Bill Walton might be a good comp though. Walton also won a Finals MVP and 6MOY. I think Roy was on a great trajectory but yeah, was likely on a tier lower than both.
@@yajeelyeah but Walton's career before the injury and after that finals MVP was quite short, and once he managed to came back he was just a serviceable sixth man. Kawhi has been more productive than him and he keeps coming back playing great after every injury, only to eventually get injured again. But I get what you're referring to with that comparison. Honestly I think Kawhi's case is unlike any other we have ever seen. A player that can be the best player in the league when he's healthy, then get injured when it matters the most, then come back again still showing how great he is.
@@MoralesCorner Yeah, I can see that. I agree it's strange that whenever Kawhi comes back, he looks great again. Usually guys with degenerative issues come back looking like a shell of themselves.
Kawhi at his peak is absolutely the best player in the world
He was never better than Giannis.
@@guesswhonot1620he knocked him out in 2019
@@guesswhonot1620he was way better than. Giannis
Got lucky because Klay and KD got injured in the Finals
@@kl2389 I mean u still have to beat who is in front of u so yea
As a Raptors fan, I will never forget him leading the team to its first championship. It's a shame that he left cause they would have likely repeated and the medical staff would have done a better job at taking care of his knees. Perhaps COVID-19 would have never hit if he stayed.
Honestly hearing Danny Green say that every member of that roster was wanted to run it back except for Kawhi who refused (he wanted to be close to family in LA which is 100% fair), is one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever heard about the Raptors. We would’ve had a great shot at two-peating.
@@MonoPrime *repeating
People assume a lot about Kawhi's intentions. PG on his podcast describes the hypothetical other version of the PG-Kawhi team, where they're both in Toronto. It was something they tried to put together, ultimately going with the Clippers' version, but it wasn't out of the question to stay in Toronto.
Are you implying Kwahi is patient zero and brought the COVID19 to the US from Canada?😂😂
@@bandito241possible
Spurs Kawhi isn’t talked about enough and the path he was on to becoming a Top 4-5 player in the nba and world. Back to back DPOY and was literally getting better in every statistical category.
yeah, people thought he just waltzed into this league averaging 25ppg lol. spurs were developing him into a superstar.
@@greenderpKobe was
@@rockysalvatore435 *pippen was* you can look it up, pop had kawhi train with him.
one thing, you forgot to mention- Spurs were kickin Warriors Dynasty ass in game one, when fuckin Zaza fouled Leonard and ended his playoffs
Just watching that clip makes me pissed, when peoole talk about kawhi they always mostly talk about either his first Fmvp, Toronto year, or clippers but hardly ever bring up that in 2017 he was starting to turn into easy 2nd best player in league before that bs injury.
he did mention it. He said there were up 20 at halftime
One of the lowest moments for that GSW legendary squad. We all know Zaza did it on purpose. They are a way dirtier team that people likes to point out cause you know that wasn't fortuitous or Zaza's own decision. The team knew what they were about to do
I have never liked Zaza, even when he was with the hawks
Ik if it wasn’t for Zaza fouling Kawhi Leonard, he would’ve stay healthy. Zaza should’ve step the fuck back and let Kawhi take his shot
One of my favorite players to watch ever. A damn shame what injuries have done to him.
I’m Excited to Finally See Kawhi Leonard get Some Recognition of his Greatness.
They Spinned the Narrative on Him once he Joined LA, but we Can’t Deny the Fact That He’s a 2x Champion, 2X Defensive Player of the Year,
A 6x All Star with more to come, & a Guaranteed Future 1st Ballot Hall of Famer.
He Gave Toronto Their First Ring Beating a Stacked Warriors Team, & Beat Prime Lebron in San Antonio.
Kawhi has Always Been A Very Efficient Scorer Too, I Remember one year he was close to a 50 40 90 season.
It’s not a narrative it’s truth he hasn’t done anything but sit on the bench for the clippers
When Kawhi was relatively healthy, he was one of the best two way players in the league. It’s a shame he can never stay healthy because when he’s at his best, you can’t stop him.
-- If we picking best NON-MVPS, he's basically MJ Lite.
There are better careers out there, but the man can get buckets whenever he wants, lockdown the best defender, and yeah he is nothing like MJ in terms of dunking, but if I had to pick for *ONE* season to build a team around (out of guys like: Tmac, Kobe, Kawhi, Wade, Curry, SGA, Harden, etc), I'd pick KAWHI.
@@jlui21i wouldnt even stop there, i have him at 4th highest peak ever, mj lebron, lakers shaq, 2019 kawhi,
@@jlui21he's better
Curry can't play defense
@@rockysalvatore435 I have kawhi over curry on peak too, but what curry does on offense alone brings him into these elite discussions but of the huge impact he has.
Coming off an almost season long injury, he joined a new team for just a year, and won them a championship. And he beat the two other best teams in the East to do it. That should you how good he really was.
Happy to see your face Andy! Keep up the good work.
Kawhi, the one player that will never change his hair for some reason
Michael Jordan?
Who cares about hair tho
@@growing.grounds4054 you people do
@@growing.grounds4054 weirdos.
@@growing.grounds4054 you do because you got the same hair as him
our favorite basketball robot
He's still Hall of Fame level in spite of how much injuries hindered his career.
That’s is what’s crazy. When he plays he’s easily top 10 at worst. He’s just that guy.
Definitely a Hall of Fame player. It's just a shame injuries prevented us from seeing more of what he can do. His no-nonsense approach to playing is what made me love him
@@JAPSICLEGS fault
There are players with way less accolades than him in the Hall of Fame. So yes it's a lock
@@bandito241 He is. We agree about that.
But i have to say, i see no real value in giving a top 10 player performance once or twice a month. There are like 80-120 other players, who can explode and give a rare super performance once in while. Those other guys don't get noticed enough for being only solid the other nites, while still being way more valuable than Kawhi, who is just absent.
One of my favorite players growing up I'm so sad he's gonna retire so young
Always cool to put a face with the voice. Keep it up bro love your videos.
Release on Monday?!
What a way to start the week!
It is certainly hard to judge Kawhi's greatness. If we going skill for skill, he's definitely one of the best players we've ever seen on both ends of the floor. That along with the fact that he's a two time finals MVP with two different franchises should put him inside the top 15, maybe even top 10 players ever. But if we look at his total numbers and the overall impact, he just hasn't been dominant for enough seasons to be in that category. Whatever you want to do, he's one of the most talented players ever, has proven he can be the best in the league at times, and he's such a special character that moves unlike most players outside of the court.
Holy unexpected face reveal😭
not the first time he's shown his face at all... you must be a new sub
@@aymane.bencheikh -- lol. I've watched several dozen of Andy's vids. This is my first time seeing his face too. I'm not a diehard fan but I am a healthy supporter of AndyHoops.
@@aymane.bencheikhwhen he show it? Been watching him religiously every drop damn near 2 years😭
@@aymane.bencheikh I’ve watched for about a year I think. Never seen his face
My boy I’ve been watching him since 2018 and watched all of his old videos before and he RARLEY shows his face lol
As a Spurs fan I really miss Kawhi on the team even if things ended badly, he was, fundamentally speaking, the closest or second closest person to MJ, it sucks he couldn’t have a similar or even better career due to his injuries
Love Kawhi's game! Healthy Kawhi is definitely in the conversation for top 1-3 player in the league! He made defense fun to watch. When Danny Green and Kawhi went for the double block, I knew we had something special in Toronto.
I was internally crying when I saw that. I was crying for my spurs. that was our backcourt. There they were, snuffing the life out of some hapless mvp level player like they do year in and year out, but this time, for toronto and not san antonio anymore.
@@rudyardganuelas6254 😂
Legit one of the best defensive and offensive player in his position when healthy.
It's only matter of a second his career will wine down with injuries on his ankles again.
If he adjusted his game for the most to stay in a disgruntled team.
Kawhi was so great, he chose to leave a team he likely would’ve taken to back-to-back finals. And he knew it. You could see it in that pi$$ed off look on his face on the bench in game 7 against Denver in the bubble. Without him, the Raps were literally a shot away from the conference finals.
I think that in additon to his massive wingspan it's important to mention how large his hands are and how it definitely gives him a defensive edge against players.
Prime Kawhi Lenard was amazing all round player one my favorite players to watch him from role player to superstar hall fame career
Maaaan Kawhi is so unique! I loved him on the Spurs. I feel he went from under rated to over rated/hated in a second
In his prime without injury. He is elite.
Plus 15th pick in 2011 draft.
As a Sixers fan, i was completely devastated after the buzzer beater against the 76ers in the 2019 playoffs. Nonetheless, he was indeed a player to watch back in 2019, and he delivered a championship
I just remembered the "Kawhi Island" where the best player on the opposing team will just stand at the corner so that their offense will not be disrupted by Kawhi..
Having giant hands and long arms made him a nightmare defender to go along with his scoring. Fear the Claw.
I still believe the Raptors would’ve gone back to back if Kawhi stayed. The raptors were still competitive in the bubble even without him
I don't know whether it's still true or not but last year, Kawhi had had more Finals MVP Trophies (2) than triple-doubles (1) in his career. Which I reckon is totally awesome.
For me personally Kawhi already achieved the absolute best a player can acheiev. I mean, the dude literally carried toronto (injured). He couldve achieved much more if not due to injuries, but as far as his career goes, hes a beast in history already
Brother andy hoops i just wanted to tell you have the best content when it comes to basketball I’m originally from the UK but you literally put me on basketball i’ve been watching you for a good 3-4 years your content is so brilliant you analyse the game so brilliantly keep it up brother ❤️
Prime Kawhi was like Larry Fitzgerald but without the Santonio Holmes catch, meaning he won the championship on an unbelievably dominant playoff run that would have him justifiably compared to the best of all time at his role
Prime Kawhi vs. Prime Bron in multiple final series wouldve fed families
Kawhi Leonard, definitely one of the all-time greats. I mean, who could forget all those seasons where he sat out with injuries and managed his workload like he was on paid vacation? And those ‘impressive’ point totals? Truly the stuff of legends… or maybe just ‘meh’ on a good day. And sure, people say his game is Jordan-esque, but I guess that's if you squint really hard and ignore, you know, Michael Jordan’s actual level. But hey, close enough, right?
Kawhi was amazing to watch at his peak
honestly a sadder fall than Westbrook. Russ was always electric in his prime but Kawhi in 2019 was THE MAN. there was jordan talk already with him just bc of that one run with the raptors. now the guy is a shell of himself barely plays and always gets hurt in the playoffs
Nah fr tho, he was the greatest all around player I’ve seen at his peak.
An absolute monster on all parts of the floor.
I’ve never watched Jordan so I can’t speak on him.
The thing about Kawhi was he could stop anyone, but nobody was slowing him down.
The Raptors playoff run was a great example of this.
Unfortunately dude was rarely ever 80%, especially during his prime.
Despite all the injuries and load management, Kawhi is a top 40 all timer and first ballot Hall of Famer. Could be top 15 without Zaza.
I would dare say he was the best wing defensive player ever. They used to play 4v4 when he was on the court.
Best on-ball defender in the history of the game. He could lock down anyone
Kawhi started losing his aura around the same time he started losing his hairline
Kawhi on the raptors showed that load management could work especially for Kawhi coming off that last year in San Antonio where he was injured
That load management season helped Kawhi go on that legendary playoff run and eventually earning Canada a ring
Kawhi's that ultimate attack you keep to one-shot your opponent
zaza pacheapshot was the real Mvp on that 2017 warriors, real hoopers and fans know spurs gonna dominate that warriors team even with durant, Pop knows all Kerr's tricks.
At Kawhi's peak he was absolutely the best player in the league hence the best player in the world. Pre-injury Kawhi was trending to eclipse all other players ever to challenge Jordan, Kareem, Lebron, Bill Russell for the title of Greatest player ever. Kawhi is in my all time starting 5.
Mr. Load Managment
Also Mr. BetterThanYourFavoritePlayer
His tendons literally swell from use. He has to allow the swelling to go down to even walk normally, let alone play basketball at the highest level. And yet he still does that. Put some respect on his name and understand the medical realities he faces every single day.
Kawhi woulda been a top 10-15 alltime player if he didn’t get hurt so much, think he wins 2021 & 2023 if healthy and maybe he could have had an MVP on his resume too
If you ever wonder how would MJ be in the modern era. Look no further than this guy. A two way menace that has all the skills and a physical specimen. Just up his speed and athleticsm and you got Prime MJ on your hands. Sad he just can't stay on the court but when he does, he is the best player there.
Great research and presentation man!
Man after all these years , Kawhi Leonard has become one of my favorite players.
Zaza Pachulia really made sure we will never forget about him…he is the one that hurt Kahwi
Crazy I started watching basketball in 2019 and remember the discourse around Kawhi. It’s crazy to see how the injuries affected his career
Best perimeter defender while being able to average above 20 at a good percentage
Kawhi was looking like MJ for that one season he made a mistake leaving The Raptors
Idgaf what the haters say, this dude brought some legendary moments. He’s on my top 10.
Imo I'd rather have Kawhi over KD, I know KD is a near 7ft all around bucket, but Kawhi is a 6'7 2 way demon who is elite at scoring and defense, developed a good 3pt shot and a great mid range, same wingspan as Giannis and Olajuwon, and also good in the post, very strong player also his teammates have said
They both have 2 championships
Legit eating food and watching your videos chillin. Keep up great work
The Klaw only slays back to back champs
It’s sad he could of been top 8-15 player of all time man definitely beating Gianni’s in the finals so I think he gets one more rings at least and that’s another finals mvp too
Kawhi at his peak was top 3 in the world. And he wasn’t 2 or 3. From a Spurs fan, and without hate. The young man got me a chip on the best team I’ve ever seen play ball.
Great player when Healthy. Sad that his injuries overtook what could have been an even more monumental career.
Kawhi Leonard was one of the best players in the basketball history but his injuries are his hindrances in his career,good friends!!!I want to see him flourishing in my chosen team Los Angeles Clippers injury free for goodness sake and for the rest of his career,good friends!!!🙏
During Kawhi Prime He's So unstopabble and he can really Lockedowned and Pin Down the Main Guy of the Team with His Underrated Defense
If he would have stayed with the Raptors it would have been East finals every year. But if he would have needed us to get George for him to stay the depth might not have been there. But his peak was scary two-way play.
For the 2016-17 part of this video, Kawhi Leonard's injury in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals against Golden State was all thanks to Zaza Pachulia. If it wasn't for him, not only would Leonard have still been the silent killer for the rest of the 2017 postseason, but the Spurs would've been in that season's NBA Finals as well.
I like the way you said since his offence went up, his defense dropped
He is a Two Way Monster
As a raptors fan I’m still in shock what he did for us. Watched every game create magic for us. He was awesome to watch🙌🏾
Kawhi was a player that was always in the right situation. Won FMVP with the Spurs as the 4th option. Got traded to the #1 team in the East after LeBron, the reaosn the Raptors couldn't win left the East. Faced an injured GS in the finals. Gets traded to the Clippers to actually build something from scratch and has been a no show.
he was the First Option. In 2013 Playoffs by the Finals he averaged 15 points on no plays called Making him the best scorer in the NBA. Then in 2014 they gave him some plays and he averages 17 in the season then 24 in the Finals on 80% shooting giving him the Best Scoring Finals in NBA history. That with only 2 plays called. Spurs would just steal the ball every time Mainly Kawhi and then he would pass it to Parker or Duncan. Everyone was fastbreaking so it didn't matter who got the ball they were winning by 50 every game.
Peak Kawhi was during his Raptors playoff run. We will never see another performance like that
I hate the Warriors for ruining this guy’s career that Zaza play was so intentional
At his peak
Great player, top 3 defender in the league (if not the best), top 10 offensive player at best (bron, kd, Steph, harden, lillard were all ahead of him offensively)
He won the title with spurs as a system player, while the title with raptors were largely credited to injuries to warriors. Yes injuries is part of the game but they don’t stand a chance against a healthy warriors.
In the Playoffs it's all about Slashing to the hoop. Jumpers stop falling in the playoffs. So he's better offensively than Lillard, KD, bron harden and steph. Steph is the only real shooter in the bunch that can make them in the playoffs but Put Kawhi on him and curry gets 2 points while Kawhi still gets his 25 in the playoffs all on Dunks all in the second half. KAwhi is much better offensively and even Popovich said that and was asked then why not give him 100 shots a game. Pop said He's our Secret Weapon and that is how you win. Have 4 Guys average 20 while one is capable of 100 if asked.
Lillard and Harden would've rode the Bench in San Antonio just like McGrady who average 27 the year before in Houston then goes to Popovich's Team where everyone gets 20 ppg and there is Balance among the shots taken to build Team Chemistry.
@@JimBrave-ri1oc holding Steph to 2 point is a joke without his other offensive players in gsw, they basically guarded Steph with box-1, no other nba team use that because teams have multiple weapons except for injury riddled gsw that series
Ask him try doing that to a full roster gsw team 🤣
And steph still avg 2 more points than kawhi that series
He avg 28 against gsw without KD for much of the series
@@karkitliu9951 This Jim Brave guy is way too delusional on most of his takes... saying Shaq's stronger than Prime Wilt. LOL!!!
You're right that the Raptors were just obnoxiously lucky during 2019...
first time i've seen Andy's face
Probably the most disappointing player of the 2020s, you know he's extremely good you know the guy is one of the best in the world but he's always injured, some players will try and play in the playoffs if they are injured but not this guy, if he has a slight tick in his knee he's not gonna play the next game.
Kawhi should join the raptors with Scottie Barnes
What’s up Andy haven’t seen your vids in my feed recently
All my homies hate Zaza Pachulia
Absolute prime? Top 10 ability no doubt. I would take a prime Kawhi over Prime Steph
not a bad take but i’m taking prime emet okur over both of them bums
is it injury tho? or he doesn't care anymore. everytime it his contract season he plays well and he isn't "injured"
Kawhi really should’ve stay in Toronto he could’ve won 3 more championships over there i wished he stayed in Toronto
When talking about "what if" one thing that is worth thinking about is whether Kawhi was going to have his health problems if not foe the unlucky landing on zaza feet
Great video.
Boy oh boy we've actually gotten to that point where people already start to forget how good a healthy version of this guy is that we're doing these sorts of videos now
Jaylen Brown BREAKDOWN you're next video Andy Hoops 😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤
He 100% wins more championships if Toronto resigned him with their roster intact.
Andy Hoops on camera again!
Peak Leonard was better than peak Durant.
Raptors Kawhi and that run was legendary
I remember when peak Leonard missed 2 free throws in game 7 of the NBA finals in the last 30 seconds against the Miami Heat and cost the Spurs a championship and a dynasty. So he couldn't have been that good.
lmaoo what peak? That was only his 2nd year in the league and only averaging 13ppg.
Honestly, the best defender in this modern era. When you put fear into Lebron James, that means a lot. If he was healthy, i think we would be talking about if he is the GOAT. That Raptors run was legendary.
Hmm, Andy rarely shows his face. And as for Kawhi, he was unstoppable at his peak, and still was when there's a healthy Kawhi. But he became a glass after joining the Clippers.
Absolute peak Kawhi is literally taller Michael Jordan
Yes
That lone season in Toronto was the best Kawhi version of all. Sad we can't see it anymore.
Kawhi came into the league with limites offensive game so his offense was prsctically built from scratch
He basically build it thr proper so at times robotic and boring to watch but everything was the mosr efficient way
Kawhi Leonard at his PEAK is absolutely the BEST player in the WORLD 💯
No
Kawhi still plays pretty similar to his peak, he's far from washed he's just very very injury prone
he hasn't been anything like 2017 Kawhi since about 2019. He used to dunk form the foul line in games and block shots off the top of the back board. Kawhi was the most athletic player in the NBA from 2012-2020 and now he's maybe like the 60th most athletic in the league.