Gregg Popovich heaped some big praise—and basically sky-high expectations—on his star small forward.
In a Q&A with the San Antonio Express-News, the Spurs coach was asked if he worried about the energy Kawhi Leonard, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and the Spurs best player, expends on both sides of the floor. That's when he invoked the G.O.A.T.'s name and Leonard's name in the same sentence.
It’s about how good a player do you want to be? He has the ability to do what a Michael Jordan did at both ends. I don’t mean he’s Michael Jordan, but Michael played both ends of the floor. Kobe does the same thing, when he so desires. You think about the best players in the league, they’re not two-way players. He wants to do that, and he stays after it every day. Chip Engelland and Chad Forcier do a great job developing him. He works hard at it. We’re working him in the pick and roll now, so I can give him the ball like I do Manu.
So no need to sound the sirens. Popovich was clear not to directly compare Leonard to Jordan because that's unfair and disrespectful. But Popovich made sure to emphasize that Leonard, who still might not earn the kind of respect he deserves from casual basketball fans, has the ability to be one of the best two-ways players in the game. Just like his Airness during his prime.
[h/t Uproxx]
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