Does this change your opinion of Kawhi?

[CitySushi]

I haven't turned on any of the circus media for like First Take or whatever that show Skip Bayless is on, but I wanted to get a gauge around here.

Has your view of Kawhi Leonard as a premier talent in this league been altered due to this loss? I mean realistically blowing a 3-1 lead is not new obviously, but does his overall performance in this series and in game 7 in particular alter his standing in the league?

I mean universally he's considered a top 5 player. His credentials to date are impeccable. This is probably on paper is one of, if not the most talented team he's ever had.

Thoughts?

 

[DJ]

No.

 

[DJ]

He won in SA and Toronto....this wasn't all on him.

 

[DJ]

Covid-13/Pandemic P was just as responsible.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Still a superstar and top 5 player but I said before this blown lead and before the playoffs...I still thought Giannis was the best player. Which I think most can agree with...but when the playoffs roll around, Lebron has to still be #1 for obvious reasons. Lebron wasn't in the playoffs last season, Kawhi beat a KD-Klay-less team. I had him at #3 so I think that is a fair rating. If KD is still KD, I would put KD ahead of Kawhi...but he is still top 5 imo. His legacy definitely took a hit but he was never going to live up to Lebron or Kobe anyway, no matter what he did.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Covid-13/Pandemic P was just as responsible.

Lots of people are responsible but he is still the clear #1 option and superstar and he had one of the worst game 7's ever. He choked plain and simple. Playoff P choking isn't really a surprise. Rivers choking isn't a surprise. Kawhi choking is to most.

 

[CitySushi]

I think what gets me more than anything is that while I don't put blame on him for the series loss, 14 points in 43 minutes of a game 7 is an atrocious performance by any standards for a top 20 player in the NBA let alone a top 3-5. If this was Lebron, KD, Steph, Harden, etc, they would be getting absolutely roasted right now and people would be killing them.

Again I haven't tuned in to the media stuff, so maybe they are killing him right now, but I just wanted to see what's going on here first.

 

[DJ]

Lots of people are responsible but he is still the clear #1 option and superstar and he had one of the worst game 7's ever. He choked plain and simple. Playoff P choking isn't really a surprise. Rivers choking isn't a surprise. Kawhi choking is to most.

Denver deserves a little credit for their defense.

 

[Black Adam]

I think what gets me more than anything is that while I don't put blame on him for the series loss, 14 points in 43 minutes of a game 7 is an atrocious performance by any standards for a top 20 player in the NBA let alone a top 3-5. If this was Lebron, KD, Steph, Harden, etc, they would be getting absolutely roasted right now and people would be killing them.

Again I haven't tuned in to the media stuff, so maybe they are killing him right now, but I just wanted to see what's going on here first.

lol, yeah ANY words outta guys like Cowturd or Skip Brainless' mouth should be ignored immediately...

 

[Shanemansj13]

I think what gets me more than anything is that while I don't put blame on him for the series loss, 14 points in 43 minutes of a game 7 is an atrocious performance by any standards for a top 20 player in the NBA let alone a top 3-5. If this was Lebron, KD, Steph, Harden, etc, they would be getting absolutely roasted right now and people would be killing them.

Again I haven't tuned in to the media stuff, so maybe they are killing him right now, but I just wanted to see what's going on here first.

Yep Lebron especially would never recover from a performance like this...I mean it took him years and years to recover from The Decision and the loss to the Mavs but this...would ruin him. Kawhi should be held to the same standard imo

Yes everyone is killing him lol

 

[Robotech]

I haven't turned on any of the circus media for like First Take or whatever that show Skip Bayless is on, but I wanted to get a gauge around here.

Has your view of Kawhi Leonard as a premier talent in this league been altered due to this loss? I mean realistically blowing a 3-1 lead is not new obviously, but does his overall performance in this series and in game 7 in particular alter his standing in the league?

I mean universally he's considered a top 5 player. His credentials to date are impeccable. This is probably on paper is one of, if not the most talented team he's ever had.

Thoughts?

No. Like with any other superstar like Curry or Lebron, Kawhi will have a bad game every now and then, but for every bad game, those guys will have like 10 excellent games.

 

[DJ]

No. Like with any other superstar like Curry or Lebron, Kawhi will have a bad game every now and then, but for every bad game, those guys will have like 10 excellent games.

Exactly.

The issue is it was a game 7.....but he was fine in Toronto last year and with SA so it's not like it's a pattern he's developed or anything.

 

[trojanfan12]

What I think we saw is that Kawhi is not a guy who's going to create chemistry.

Cowherd made a good point about that this morning. In San Antonio, there was already chemistry. In Toronto, there was already chemistry.

With the Clippers, chemistry had to be created and he couldn't do that.

It's part of what makes Lebron such a great player...not only has he played great for the Lakers, he's been a driving force in the chemistry they have.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

lol, yeah ANY words outta guys like Cowturd or Skip Brainless' mouth should be ignored immediately...

I haven't listened to those dipshits in years - I have much better ways to waste my time

 

[DJ]

What I think we saw is that Kawhi is not a guy who's going to create chemistry.

Cowherd made a good point about that this morning. In San Antonio, there was already chemistry. In Toronto, there was already chemistry.

With the Clippers, chemistry had to be created and he couldn't do that.

It's part of what makes Lebron such a great player...not only has he played great for the Lakers, he's been a driving force in the chemistry they have.

Great post.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

No. Like with any other superstar like Curry or Lebron, Kawhi will have a bad game every now and then, but for every bad game, those guys will have like 10 excellent games.

They were up 3 to 1 and were ready to close the series out - bad shooting night is something that happens to better player,, but not three straight games - that was bad coaching, no defense and no offense. The offense would have come with better defense and that didn't happen

 

[Gman]

Covid-13/Pandemic P was just as responsible.

^ This.

It's an odd year... period.

I blame CV19 and living in the bubble for months before I think about blaming a time-tested, proven monster like Kawhi.

 

[DJ]

^ This.

It's an odd year... period.

I blame CV19 and living in the bubble for months before I think about blaming a time-tested, proven monster like Kawhi.

Yeah, not like he has a history of choking......the exact opposite.

 

[fordman84]

I think Kawhi is a top 3 talent that translates into a top 10 player. When he wants to be unstoppable, he is. But for whatever reason he coasts and never gets called out for it. He is able to take over a game, or disappear and you never know which version you will get.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Yes

I had Kawhi pegged as maybe the best player in the league. Definitely top 3 with Lebron and Giannis.

With all the hype that's been surrounding him and the Clippers, with all the talk of 'perhaps the best playoff player ever', he's been a massive disappointment. Not saying he's a bad player - far from it, but a disappointment.

Let's make something very clear. A superstar doesn't go 1-11 in the 2nd half in an elimination game. A superstar doesn't sit out every back-to-back during the regular season and then some, have 4 months off because of the pandemic, and then complain he's too tired. A superstar doesn't give up three consecutive double digit leads in closeout games.

Again, don't get me wrong, Kawhi is still a superstar and will probably end up a top 20 player of all time. But he's definitely not the player a lot of people had him pegged to be.