Kawhi Leonard is the best two-way player in the NBA right now and might be the closest player we’ve seen to Michael Jordan Few players deserve to put into the same sentence as Michael Jordan, let alone compared to him. However, if there is one player that deserves such praise and comparison to the GOAT, it’s Kawhi Leonard. And maybe even more so than Kobe Bryant. Kobe is thought by many fans and analysts to be the closest player to MJ. However, Kawhi is the best two-way player in the game right now. Kawhi is often overlooked in how his game resembles MJ’s during his prime who was arguably the best offensive and defensive player at his position. Ever. While MJ was a scoring machine, most fans forget about how good defensively he was throughout his career. Jordan was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team nine times, won Defensive Player of the Year once and led the league in steals on three occasions. There have only been three players to ever win a Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Michael Jordan. In the 2016-17 season, Kawhi was not only the Defensive Player of the Year, but he averaged over 25 points per game in the regular season and averaged 27.7 points per game in the playoffs on 56 percent shooting from 3 and 53 percent from the field. Kobe Bryant was an excellent defender; however, he is not as good defensively as Kawhi Leonard or MJ. Not even close. Kawhi Leonard won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP for his lockdown defense against LeBron James while playing on the same team as three other Hall of Fame players. Kawhi Leonard exhibits a level of offensive dominance that few shooting guards or small forwards have been able to match. He is judicious with his shot selection. He never seems to get worried or flustered when he is playing. So far in the playoffs this season, Kawhi Leonard is averaging 32.3 points on 59 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range. Kobe, at 27, averaged 28 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3 in the playoffs. While Kobe is arguably better than Kawhi offensively, he is not as efficient as Kawhi on the floor. If Kawhi took as many shots as Kobe Bryant, he would probably average more points. Offensively, Kawhi’s efficiency is what separates him from other elite shooting guards and small forwards. Not only can Kawhi be the best scorer on the floor in a given game, but he does not have to take a ton of shots to do so. He controls his pace offensively and is always consistent. He can shoot the 3 and drive to the basket on any defender. To most defenders, Kawhi is unstoppable. However, he does not get as much attention for his offensive game because he is less flashy than most elite scores. Physically, Kawhi Leonard is 6-foot-7, 230 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Michael Jordan was 6-foot-6, 216 pounds with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. Kawhi is stronger than Kobe and has the infamous huge hands that gave Jordan an edge. Kawhi’s size and strength allow him to shoot over other shooting guards and small forwards. And he is faster than power forwards or centers that may attempt to guard him. His ability to get to the basket and get off any shot he wants is reminiscent of Jordan. Kawhi Leonard and MJ are arguably the two most physically superior shooting guards to ever play in the NBA. Phil Jackson coached MJ and Kobe in their prime. When asked to pick between MJ and Kobe it was easy for him. “MJ’s got that hand. The glove. But when a guy can pick the ball up with one hand when he is drippling like Michael could do…and take the ball to the basket it is very difficult.” After a dominating Game 4 performance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which tied the series at 2-2, many analysts were taken away by Kawhi’s efficient 39-point performance. Including Stephen A. Smith: Like Kawhi showed in Game 4, Jordan was unique in his ability to elevate his game during the playoffs and to get at any defender. Also, Jordan is, arguably the only player under 7-feet tall to ever be so offensively dominant. Another viable comparison to MJ is James Harden. James Harden, this season, averaged 36 points during the regular season and is averaging 35 points per game in the playoffs. Though, he is only shooting 36 percent from 3-point range and 41 percent from the field in doing so. Harden is also arguably as skilled and dominant offensively as MJ. However, he is also not the defender that MJ was in his prime. Kawhi Leonard also is the only none center to ever win Defensive Player of the Year, twice. When equally evaluating the contribution a player makes offensively and defensively, no player compares to MJ. This was definitely an element of MJ’s greatness as a player. Kawhi Leonard, at this point in his career, certainly does not have the resume that Kobe Bryant had when he played. And he may never. Kawhi is only 27 years old and has over a decade left to play in the NBA. Kobe Bryant was a great player in his own right and is a different player than MJ. Kobe Bryant has been cited by many players to be just as skilled as MJ and he is definitely a better shooter than MJ was in his prime. While Jordan is better than Kawhi, arguably the biggest difference between the two players is MJ’s swag and flash on the court. Kawhi is not one to publicize that he is giving you the business. And this is what makes him dangerous as a player and a competitor. This is also not to say that Kawhi Leonard is better than the litany of players chasing Jordan including LeBron James, James Harden, and Kevin Durant. Kawhi Leonard’s game is just more similar to MJ’s game. MJ, in his competitive spirit, once remarked that he would love to play other great players in their prime and that he could beat them, except for Kobe because he steals all of his moves. While Kobe may have stolen MJ’s moves, Kawhi Leonard is the closest two-way player to MJ the NBA has ever seen.<doc-sep>Since he walked away from the game in 2016, critics and fans have been able to look at Kobe Bryant's dominance in a more objective light. This has led some people to believe Bryant's game was not as great as his stats make it out to be. But on Tuesday, things got out of hand when ESPN's Max Kellerman had the nerve to fix his lips and say Kawhi Leonard is a better clutch performer than Kobe "Bean" Bryant. Kawhi has been dominant throughout this year's playoffs. As a result, the Raptors' star is receiving some much-deserved praise. Yet, Kellerman combined this praise with the current wave of Kobe criticism to create a comment that shouldn't have been thought much less said. "Under pressure? Yes, Kawhi is better than Kobe was," Kellerman stated. . @RealJayWilliams needed to walk off set after @maxkellerman said Kawhi is better than Kobe under pressure. pic.twitter.com/k0WLIdkL1J — First Take (@FirstTake) May 7, 2019 Not only did this comment leave his always talkative co-host Stephen A. Smith nearly speechless, but it also forced their guest Jay Williams walk away from the camera that was streaming his image as he was visibly upset. When the two regained their composure, they immediately went on the offensive. Both Smith and Williams asked Kellerman to produce moments in Leonard's career where he put together a significant clutch performance. @FirstTake Check our how Max Kellerman froze when called out on his BS! 😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Q8gDp8GltG — FA (@foreiiigggn) May 7, 2019 While there are some, Kellerman was unable to say these mattered more than anything Kobe did to win. Still, Kellerman attempted to prove his statement to the point Williams left the studio out of frustration. In addition to being railroaded on his own show, the unforgiving world of social media unleashed its furry on Kellerman. NBA fans immediately took to Twitter where they ripped him for uttering such a blasphemous statement.<doc-sep>ESPN’s First Take prides itself on the show’s ability to get viewers riled up with outlandish remarks by either Stephen A. Smith or Max Kellerman. There’s a lot of yelling. There’s a lot of theatrics. But really, the show features a lot of objectively incorrect sports commentary. On Tuesday, Kellerman managed to shock Smith, Jay Williams and the internet as a whole when he stated that Kawhi Leonard is better than Kobe Bryant. While Kobe’s legacy may be a bit overrated in most NBA circles, Kellerman would be on his own in believing that Leonard has already done enough to supplant Kobe among the NBA’s all-time greats. And, somehow, that wasn’t even Kellerman’s worst take of the day. This was: @LarryFitzgerald might make the Hall of Fame?!?!??? Larry #2 ALL TIME IN RECEIVING YARDS & MADE 11 PRO BOWLS WITH 19 DIFFERENT QUARTERBACKS !! Wow @maxkellerman ! ( @FirstTake @stephenasmith ) pic.twitter.com/qQZciyxDFY — Will Blackmon (@WillBlackmon) May 7, 2019 As First Take was in the middle of a segment about Dez Bryant, Kellerman came out of nowhere and straight-up gaslighted viewers on the legacy of Larry Fitzgerald. Kellerman said that Fitzgerald “might” — MIGHT! — be a Hall of Famer based on his longevity and willingness to keep playing without being an MVP-caliber player. Uh, what? And why is Stephen A. just nodding? I’m embarrassed for Kellerman having just listened to this. Larry Fitzgerald is a top 5 wide receiver to play the game. He ranks second all-time in receiving yards. He’s made 11 Pro Bowls. He’s sixth all-time in receiving touchdowns. He’s 12th all-time in touchdowns, period. Fitzgerald put up that legendary career with quarterbacks that pale in comparison to other Hall of Fame receivers. I mean, the absolute best quarterbacks Fitzgerald ever played with were end-of-career Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer. Outside of that, he had Ryan Lindley, Matt Leinart, Kevin Kolb and Drew Stanton — to name a few — throwing to him. Just think if Fitzgerald spent his career with a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback — he’d possibly be No. 1 all-time in most receiving categories. Vince Carter is great, but Vince Carter’s NBA career is not comparable to Fitzgerald’s NFL career in any sense. The take was so bad that ESPN’s official video of the segment conveniently cut off right before Kellerman’s remark. They were trying to save him.<doc-sep>
Chris Szagola/Associated Press Kawhi Leonard has been nothing short of spectacular in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, averaging 38 points and nine rebounds per game while shooting a preposterous 62 percent from the field against the Philadelphia 76ers. It's to the point where he's being compared to some of the game's greats. "It's Kobe [Bryant]," Raptors guard Norman Powell said of Leonard's Game 4 performance after a 101-96 win Sunday, per Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. "That man is Kobe. He's a superstar, man. He gets after it. He doesn't care who's in front of him. He knows what he's worth, he knows what he can do ... superstars in the league—Kevin Durant, James Harden—he's up with those guys." The key moment of the game came with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter. Leonard had the ball outside the three-point line with the shot clock running low. Between two defenders, he rose up for a contested three and splashed it, giving the Raptors a four-point lead. Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear 29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes Right Arrow Icon Powell wasn't surprised he made it. He never believed he'd miss: "Kobe. It's good. That's what I was saying after he made that. Even when he went up, side-step fadeaway, nothing but net, that's Kobe right there. He was confident in it. You don't see him rushed. You see him look up at the clock before it, he created space, he let it fly. "I mean, he's not worried, man. He's really calm, he's really patient, he doesn't get sped up. Even when he had a late turnover where he dribbled off his foot ... you see guys holding their head, get upset a little bit. But he's going to come right back at you." Even Sixers head coach Brett Brown brought up Bryant when talking about Leonard's Game 4 performance (39 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, 13-of-20 from the field, 5-of-7 from three). "He's punishing, for sure," he said. "You know, the stuff that he can get off, and we had two people out there [on the three], the stuff that he can do to create his own shot is Kobe-like, for me. To your question about who can guard him, funny enough, with our wings, I think we've done a decent job on him ... at the end of the day, that's a hell of a playoff game." The comparison isn't perfect. From a personality standpoint, Leonard and Bryant couldn't be much different. Leonard is quiet and reserved; Bryant was never afraid to speak his mind. But Leonard's steady and consistent dissection of the 76ers defense this postseason has been reminiscent of many of the game's greats, and he's doing it while playing suffocating defense on Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler. If it weren't for Leonard's legendary series to this point, the Raptors wouldn't have a chance against a talented Sixers team. But he hasn't shown any signs of faltering to this point as the series shifts back to Toronto for Tuesday's Game 5, even at two games apiece.