A year ago, the San Antonio Spurs were a dominant force on the NBA court, and one that would have made most people forget that they had just traded their franchise player for a stud from the New York Knicks.
With the arrival of Kawhi Leonard, that all changed.
Now, the Spurs are just another franchise that has to overcome a lot of adversity and have the benefit of hindsight to know how they could have won that title.
The biggest thing for Kawhi was that the Spurs were able to take advantage of the NBA’s unprecedented season-opening break to get Leonard and the rest of the Spurs back to full strength.
It was a huge opportunity to put together a deep core and then capitalize on their star power and help make the playoffs.
Kawhi had his most productive season in San Antonio, and was a key reason the Spurs took a surprising playoff spot in the East.
The Spurs also had one of the most efficient offenses in the league with an average offense rating of 116.1 and a 112.3 scoring average.
It’s no surprise that Kawhi averaged 17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and the Spurs’ offense was able to create a ton of shots and create a lot for their offense.
Leonard’s absence for the entire season was an unfortunate development, but it helped to set the stage for the Spurs to get off to a very successful start.
Leonard was back for his first season since the injury, and while his shooting has declined, he’s still one of only two players in the NBA to average over a double-double for every 100 shots.
He’s also the only player to average at least 16.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game since the All-Star break, and he had a solid season when he had the ball.
Leonard and San Antonio are still far from being a lock to make the postseason, but they’re on the cusp of being an offensive juggernaut.
The best part of Leonard’s return, though, was that he was able in large part to get the Spurs off to an early start.
Kawhian Leonard was the best player on the court for San Antonio during the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
AP Photo/Timothy D. EasleyIt’s not that Leonard is the best shooter in the game.
Kawy is just the best distributor of the ball, and his 3-point shooting has become one of his most effective tools as a scorer.
Leonard’s game has changed a lot since he left the Spurs in 2015.
He had become one-dimensional as a passer in 2015, and a lot has changed since then.
Kawhaan Leonard has been a consistent three-point shooter for the past three years, and this season he was even better than he was last year.
Kawas is the only NBA player in the past five seasons who averages more than 18 points per game in three straight seasons, and that’s not an impossible feat.
He can be the best three-and-D player in basketball for a long time to come, and Kawhi can be a top-10 player for the next five years.
Kawho has been so good that he’s helped to make Kawhi a superstar, and we’ll have to see if that continues in 2016-17.
Leonards game is a lot easier to defend with Kawhi than it was when he was with the Spurs.
Kawo can shoot the three-pointer and he’s a great defender, which is why he has the edge on the league’s best three guards.
Kawhis ability to play the 3-and.
D allows Leonard to take a lot more shots at the rim, which makes him a tough matchup for opponents.
Leonard also gets better at shooting from behind the arc, which has become an important skill for any team.
The Spurs have been a very consistent team for years.
The way they play, they are one of those teams that will win every year.
Leonard is a very good player for San Antones, and if he can continue to improve, the next step is to start playing well for the rest, not just the players in front of him.
The only other player to play at a high level during the Spurs season was David West.
In the 2014-15 season, West averaged 18.4 points and 9.1 boards per game.
That’s not a terrible number, and West was a big reason why the Spurs won the 2015 Western Conference finals.
But he was only one of many Spurs players to miss the playoffs last season, and it’s been a long, difficult road for the team.
West was the only Spurs player to miss a single game last season and was only in the starting lineup for one game last year, and then was traded to the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns made a trade to get West, and now he’s one of three players to be traded this offseason.
Leonard could very well be the next one to be dealt