San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is undoubtedly one of the best players in the NBA, somewhat to the surprise of his own team.
Coach Gregg Popovich admitted that, much as the organization liked Leonard when they traded up to draft him in 2011, they did not see him becoming such an elite player, particularly on offense.
“No, I certainly did not see that,” Popovich said Tuesday, via Joseph Casciaro of theScore. “We saw his size and his athleticism, his work ethic, the way he practiced, the way he played, his toughness, so we made the decision. But when we made the trade, we were very nervous about it, because we really didn’t know.
“We knew what we were giving up, because George Hill was great for us, but we needed more size, so R.C. (Buford) and I, and Danny Ferry, rolled the bones.”
In many ways, Leonard is the perfect Spur. He’s quiet, he’s low-key, he does everything well, and he drives a car that’s two decades old. San Antonio couldn’t possibly be happier with their choice.
