Kwahi's defense is more entertaining to watch than a lot of player's offense, notice how he uses the help defense to perfection. The smartest player defensively I've seen along with the body type and athleticism to be a problem for anyone in the NBA.
Ovais A finally someone notices it. i tried telling ppl whos fan of 80s and 90s basketball, but all this old head just doesnt get it about playing smart and trapping your defender burning away the shot clock.
GilxSullinger He still can get better defensively. Honestly, the best man defender I've seen is Dennis Rodman. Kawhi isn't exactly at that level but he is really good. Kinda like Pippen but not as athletic.
pippen and rodman hasn't really gotten a chance to guard our new gen guard which excel in ball handling and long range abilities which is super lethal when its worked with screens . they struggled big time to guard allen iverson and kobe . i would say kawhi leonard is smarter when it comes to forcing ball handler to strong side defense and trapping . for your information trapping a ball handler is better than a blk shot . 1)you burn the shot clock and even if they receive the passed out ball , its most likely gonna be a very desperate deep behind 3 pt line shot . 2) easy to intercept the limited passing line that the trapped guy is passing which leads to a fast break. kawhi is faster than pippen but vertical leap ? i dk
92 Dream Team . it will only be a hope. it is quite a difficult task to take down warriors. may be 1 game he can take away. anyway GSW is really doing amazing ball movement and cutting and young. with ISO ball as well. very difficult. you need highly talented defense. NBA also wouldn't like it. look at the crowd which GSW is able to pull.
vjay v yes I agree I think if spurs play warriors in playoffs refs would favored warrior do to fans which is sickening it should be based on the better team which the spurs are better then warriors plus kawhi drop 40 points on their bitch asses as spurs won by 29 points
It's a shame that there aren't more players who take defense this seriously. It is beautiful to watch. And this is coming from a Cavs fan, who hates seeing Leonard guarding LeBron. Dude is a defensive beast.
Leonard is the closest thing to dennis rodman while being completely different in personality. This is what i wish there was more of in the nba just more hustle players.
Kawhi plays defense the way I was taught play up on your man with your feet use your hands when you got him engaged. For some reason people do not like to play D anymore. When someone has a ' wicked" handle, they may able to get you the first few times but if you stay up on it, you will be able to disrupt them unless they protect the ball.
Usually a lot of the guys with the wicked handles only have a few go-to moves that you can figure out over the course of the game, at least in rec ball leagues or at the gym. Like you mentioned though, if you stay on them and don' get discouraged you'll most likely start putting the clamps on them
I play defense like Kawhi u want to make it easy for yourself move your feet, use ur hands, be aggressive and play smart as a team on defense. I average 8 steals a and 10 assist game.
You're a rookie, take a look at Kawhi career he has been strongly improving season by season, just a few years in the league and already is back to back defensive player of the year, all-star, finals mvp, haves a ring on his finger on his second year in the league, just saying that took Lebron a while to accomplish. He can EASILY score down the paint, from outside, 3points, he RARELY miss free throws, hes way too good and hes just 25, im telling you this guy is going to be the face of the league in a few years, Lebron better be packing out and thinking on retirement.
Do you even watch the Spurs play? Curry is having one of the worst seasons of his career in this league. And not just that his defense is horrible. He gets steals but only because of loose balls. And Kevin Durant is only a scorer, similar to Curry is terrible on the defensive end. He's a 7 footer that cannot defend the perimeter or post for his life. The well rounded players are the best players, which is exactly why they tally up wins and championships. I mean look at the Warriors team, 2 MVP's and a team full of all stars, and look at the Spurs, It's literally only Kawhi doing anything on a nightly basis and then Lamarcus contributes too. Yet considering that The Spurs demolished the Warriors in the first game of the season and the Warriors are only 2 games ahead of the Spurs albeit with all the talent the Warriors have. So definitely Kawhi is the second best in the league.
Lex O How can you compare any defenders to Kawhi, amirite? He clearly terrifies Lebron "JESUS CHRIST" James, a player who will probably be top 4 all time (along with Jordan, Kareem, and Duncan) for most everyone once he decides to hang them up. Game respects game, btw. Lebron has stated in a radio interview that Leonard defends him the best.
Possibly the most feared perimeter defender since Scottie Pippen. Too bad there isn't much post play anymore so we could see how Leonard would defend in the post. His defense is very much like a throwback defense to the Jordan and Pippen styles. The way he takes calculated swipes at the ball, the way the plays the passing lanes, the way he closes out and the way he lets the offensive player think he's beat but in fact goes to where he anticipates the play happening at. Leonard is such a joy to watch. Imagine if he wasn't asked to carry such a large offensive load for the Spurs, how much more havoc he could wreak on defense.
Kwahi's a beast. Raptors are going to the finals with him. Just having this guy for one year is kind of a blessing. If they win it all he might be convinced to stick around. Will he prefer to be Lebron's b*itch in LA than King of the East?
Hold his own is understating it. He locked Lebron down. If you see the highlights of the NBA finals, lebron got most of his points when Kawhi wasn't on him due to screens or switch ups. I'd say lebron couldn't hold his own against Kawhi
@@abakella the spurs did clearly have a chance, they were up 20 or so before Kawhi got injured. Once he was injured, bam, that 20 point lead the spurs had became lost
@@abakella I'm actually a GS fan. I'm only saying Kawhi is a big factor. Those are playoff games, none are flukes. Kawhi was the spurs' superstar. You take that out of the game with a lead there, that plays in big time. Every game matters in the playoffs, think.
Has soon has they put Kawhi "The Klaw" on the unstoppable "Greek Freak" for defense after going down 0-2 to the bucks to start the series, "The Greek Freak" became completely neutralized and the Raps go 4-0 to win the series,.... Kawhi is only guy on the planet capable of stopping the Warriors in the 2019 NBA finals period.
2016 duncan was too old and slow, so he needed to retire, he looked liked like an old man trying to play a pick up game, 40 years old playing starting center against thunder was dangerous for his body
Kawhi's mentality in defense is very unique.All basics in check and always keeps a good and steady balance.I wouldnt be surprised if He'll become the *BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY*
he quiet, he is just like tim duncan... duncan taught kawhi well. He lets his game speak for itself. In fact, almost everyone on the spurs is pretty humble, nobody really talks about them too much and you hardly hear about them in the news. They all just let their ability speak for itself... even popvich doesnt like talking in interviews that much
3:56 See how Melo gets blocked, and literally just DOESN'T get back on D, like at all? That's just classic melo man. And people are always saying how Lebron complains a lot. Melo is the whiniest star in the NBA
Duncan + Kawhi is just a lethal defensive combo . Leonard could play air tight D cause he knew if he gets beat Timmy's gonna make the great and timely rotation and kawhi with his athleticism is gonna get back in the play . Man i miss TD#21
This dudes hands are incredible. I mean not just his hands size but his ability to like always hit the ball, and not hands or arms or anything. I mean put any high school player in the world against kawahii and tell them to cross him over and he'll slap the ball away. He's incredible at that
I really hope that Kawhi stays healthy and plays at a high level. This is the players kids should watch and emulate.His help defense, and iso defense is almost perfect. Plus he can put up over 20 when he wants.
Kawhi is the next Jordan. He already a beast on D. He will get even better in offense than he already is. He has the best coach in the league coaching him. He almost always knows where to be on both sides of the court.
2012-2014 kawhi leonard is the best defender in that moment he just made the superstar like an average players, but also watched how Kobe destroyed Leonard's defense goes to show a post prime kobe can school a young defense minded leonard.
I literally use to watch this every night to sleep bcs I’ve seen it so much way 2 much and now we have derozan instead 🤬🤬 mannnn wtf kawhyyy did you leave us? Lol
If I ever had kids, and if they one day become interested in basketball, I'm going to tell them to look up Kawhi's videos; he's such a complete player.
I honestly have troubles on offense every time i play pick up. So i always try to make up by D, and it works wonders. I don't understand why a lot of people are looking down on good D. Kawhi is a prime example of a beautiful D that can lead to an excellent offense.
I think he can only be a great defender if he stays with the spurs system. The way coach forces opponent to weak hand or force baseline into a center defending the rim. It adds up with his on ball defense.
This guy makes his team look so balanced and carries the Spurs so well. Maaannn just look at the Spurs.... without Kawhi they didn't even look like a playoff team against the Warriors. But whenever Kawhi plays every Spurs player gives 100%.
Kwahi's defense is more entertaining to watch than a lot of player's offense, notice how he uses the help defense to perfection. The smartest player defensively I've seen along with the body type and athleticism to be a problem for anyone in the NBA.
Ovais A finally someone notices it. i tried telling ppl whos fan of 80s and 90s basketball, but all this old head just doesnt get it about playing smart and trapping your defender burning away the shot clock.
GilxSullinger He still can get better defensively. Honestly, the best man defender I've seen is Dennis Rodman. Kawhi isn't exactly at that level but he is really good. Kinda like Pippen but not as athletic.
pippen and rodman hasn't really gotten a chance to guard our new gen guard which excel in ball handling and long range abilities which is super lethal when its worked with screens . they struggled big time to guard allen iverson and kobe . i would say kawhi leonard is smarter when it comes to forcing ball handler to strong side defense and trapping . for your information trapping a ball handler is better than a blk shot .
1)you burn the shot clock and even if they receive the passed out ball , its most likely gonna be a very desperate deep behind 3 pt line shot .
2) easy to intercept the limited passing line that the trapped guy is passing which leads to a fast break.
kawhi is faster than pippen but vertical leap ? i dk
Ovais A
Aztec baby
OMG!!He broke James like the little kid brakes toy dear moma
Kawhi is the Lebron curry and durant stopper
Thomas Oluwa I think you mean he's the everyone stopper
Bob Barker yeah but he's lebron and Durants kyrptonite
Payton ain't Leonard he's the best on ball defender in history
Lebron averages 27 ppg on him, how is that stopping him
And Durant exposed him in last years Conference semis
Honestly he's the only hope to stop the Warriors.
Brauwow I think he meant currently
吳家鴻 no.
Jimmy buckets to the spurs
92 Dream Team . it will only be a hope. it is quite a difficult task to take down warriors. may be 1 game he can take away. anyway GSW is really doing amazing ball movement and cutting and young. with ISO ball as well. very difficult. you need highly talented defense. NBA also wouldn't like it. look at the crowd which GSW is able to pull.
vjay v yes I agree I think if spurs play warriors in playoffs refs would favored warrior do to fans which is sickening it should be based on the better team which the spurs are better then warriors plus kawhi drop 40 points on their bitch asses as spurs won by 29 points
It's a shame that there aren't more players who take defense this seriously. It is beautiful to watch. And this is coming from a Cavs fan, who hates seeing Leonard guarding LeBron. Dude is a defensive beast.
That four on one fastbreak steal against Durant was cold blooded as hell. Kawhi Leonard is a defensive god
kawhi is the greatest nightmare of the NBA All-Stars... ohh wait, hes an all-star also:)
He's a nightmare to himself. haha ba dum TIS
Ádám Varga Superstar******
MonSTAR
ua-cam.com/video/f4gigN2zMU4/v-deo.html
KawhiNot21 he’s a fun guy hehe im out
Leonard is the closest thing to dennis rodman while being completely different in personality. This is what i wish there was more of in the nba just more hustle players.
polandadam98 W. Dennis Rodman was so passionate about defense. Same goes for Kawhi leonard.
he reminds me more of a Scottie Pippen than a Dennis Rodman
He looks like Pippen with those Statue of Liberty jams on the break after a steal.
Pippen offense, Rodman defense
Kawhi is better than Pippen on offense he averaged 27.5 points a game last season
He's fuckin everywhere
Kawhi is a beast.
Patty Mills for Sixth man
& Jonathan Simmons for slam dunk contest
DeGOAT DeRozan W
DeGOAT DeRozan and u for the most biased comment ever
As much as I want Patty to win it, it's got to be Lou Williams
W
Im just like derozan when i shoot it , it goes in . - Totally didn't steal that.
Kawhi plays defense the way I was taught play up on your man with your feet use your hands when you got him engaged. For some reason people do not like to play D anymore. When someone has a ' wicked" handle, they may able to get you the first few times but if you stay up on it, you will be able to disrupt them unless they protect the ball.
Usually a lot of the guys with the wicked handles only have a few go-to moves that you can figure out over the course of the game, at least in rec ball leagues or at the gym. Like you mentioned though, if you stay on them and don' get discouraged you'll most likely start putting the clamps on them
I play defense like Kawhi u want to make it easy for yourself move your feet, use ur hands, be aggressive and play smart as a team on defense. I average 8 steals a and 10 assist game.
Sounds like a sexual innuendo lol.
The way Kawhi anticipates his opponents ever movement is incredible. The speed and reaction time he has is crazy!
Hey it’s the mma dude
Kawhi second best player in the league
Haos CallOfLRevengeance 1-harden
2-lebrom
3-durant
4- westbrook
5-davis
6-curry
7-kawhi
You're a rookie, take a look at Kawhi career he has been strongly improving season by season, just a few years in the league and already is back to back defensive player of the year, all-star, finals mvp, haves a ring on his finger on his second year in the league, just saying that took Lebron a while to accomplish. He can EASILY score down the paint, from outside, 3points, he RARELY miss free throws, hes way too good and hes just 25, im telling you this guy is going to be the face of the league in a few years, Lebron better be packing out and thinking on retirement.
Ytalo Rafael westbrick over kawhi ? yeeah right
Fuck KD Fuck Steph Curry I like westbrook but nah
Do you even watch the Spurs play? Curry is having one of the worst seasons of his career in this league. And not just that his defense is horrible. He gets steals but only because of loose balls. And Kevin Durant is only a scorer, similar to Curry is terrible on the defensive end. He's a 7 footer that cannot defend the perimeter or post for his life. The well rounded players are the best players, which is exactly why they tally up wins and championships. I mean look at the Warriors team, 2 MVP's and a team full of all stars, and look at the Spurs, It's literally only Kawhi doing anything on a nightly basis and then Lamarcus contributes too. Yet considering that The Spurs demolished the Warriors in the first game of the season and the Warriors are only 2 games ahead of the Spurs albeit with all the talent the Warriors have. So definitely Kawhi is the second best in the league.
That last one almost ended Curry's career
W
-Evil Kawhi
+Evil Kawhi Appreciate it
Patty Thrills W
W's for Spurs Nation
KaBYE Raptors
Hey hey hey
5:49 that time Kawhi Leonard stole from an mavp and and dunked on a former one
Lex O How can you compare any defenders to Kawhi, amirite? He clearly terrifies Lebron "JESUS CHRIST" James, a player who will probably be top 4 all time (along with Jordan, Kareem, and Duncan) for most everyone once he decides to hang them up. Game respects game, btw. Lebron has stated in a radio interview that Leonard defends him the best.
Alex Oparaoji Agreed. Totally humiliated GS that night tbh.
opening night too. hell of a way to kick off the season..but reality sank in eventually. oh and Zaza's foot helped.
Alex Oparaoji .
Manufan909 1 Duncan top 4? Y'all people amaze me everyday.
Possibly the most feared perimeter defender since Scottie Pippen. Too bad there isn't much post play anymore so we could see how Leonard would defend in the post. His defense is very much like a throwback defense to the Jordan and Pippen styles. The way he takes calculated swipes at the ball, the way the plays the passing lanes, the way he closes out and the way he lets the offensive player think he's beat but in fact goes to where he anticipates the play happening at. Leonard is such a joy to watch. Imagine if he wasn't asked to carry such a large offensive load for the Spurs, how much more havoc he could wreak on defense.
these are not only all stars but hofs
Kwahi's a beast. Raptors are going to the finals with him. Just having this guy for one year is kind of a blessing. If they win it all he might be convinced to stick around. Will he prefer to be Lebron's b*itch in LA than King of the East?
DrRestezi comment aged well
Melo : "There's nobody in the league that can stop me from scoring."
Kawhi : "Hold my beer."
Hold my laugh*
kawhi has really son'd everybody elses favorite player at one point in time and still continues to do so. Kawhi the goat
The fact that he was able to hold his own against Lebron is mesmerizing
Kawhi>Lebron
Hold his own is understating it. He locked Lebron down. If you see the highlights of the NBA finals, lebron got most of his points when Kawhi wasn't on him due to screens or switch ups. I'd say lebron couldn't hold his own against Kawhi
Had Zaza not have INTENTIONALLY hurt Kawhi, the Warriors would have gotten swept
@@abakella the spurs did clearly have a chance, they were up 20 or so before Kawhi got injured. Once he was injured, bam, that 20 point lead the spurs had became lost
@@abakella I'm actually a GS fan. I'm only saying Kawhi is a big factor. Those are playoff games, none are flukes.
Kawhi was the spurs' superstar. You take that out of the game with a lead there, that plays in big time.
Every game matters in the playoffs, think.
Kwahi and Draymond defensive presence is amazing I love watching them play defense it's so entertaining
You need to update this every game lol
Kawhi knows how to make life difficult for these players never seen a player that frustrates players and opposing coaches like that
anybody else hear the seagull 0:10
Has soon has they put Kawhi "The Klaw" on the unstoppable "Greek Freak" for defense after going down 0-2 to the bucks to start the series, "The Greek Freak" became completely neutralized and the Raps go 4-0 to win the series,.... Kawhi is only guy on the planet capable of stopping the Warriors in the 2019 NBA finals period.
All this Told me was that Durant was the problem all along
Kawhi made Leflop look like stupid
睪海海參系沉越停 LEGOAT
He’s so smart, such high IQ 🧐🧐
4:38 manliest defense i ever heard
I think he forgot to drink water
Vince Lombardi would be proud of this young man. The composure and poise Leonard has during tense moments is out of this world.
Man we miss Duncan on defense
elisha williams Now we got Simmons blocks and Kawhi's defense
Quique S. Now you got DeFrozan
2016 duncan was too old and slow, so he needed to retire, he looked liked like an old man trying to play a pick up game, 40 years old playing starting center against thunder was dangerous for his body
@@weneedhim526 that’s why he was second in defensive efficiency rating that year ? Stfu
ua-cam.com/video/V9Zt8Oj8Xpo/v-deo.html => Go to 6:40 bit to see his first NBA point (part of history now)
I miss this team
My favorite player right now!
I love how when he blocks someone he doesn't scream and flex on them like most players do he just gets the job done and keeps it at that
Аnd dont do flashy dunks just get the job done
Before LeBron goes to bed he checks under the bed for Kawhi.
what I love about kawhi even when you score on him he makes every possession tough. relentless
i love how he silently goes on with his job ..even after blocking he doesn't even get hyped up .... simply amazing !!!
Kawhi's mentality in defense is very unique.All basics in check and always keeps a good and steady balance.I wouldnt be surprised if He'll become the *BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY*
His lateral movement and speed is amazing
best play imo was getting Melo to pass up the game winner to Calderon.
kawhi , klay -when locked in- and tony allen make ppl remember the importance of defense in this league full of offense. love watching these dudes
Thanks for the vid. Love this guys defense. He will be the last great defender the NBA will see because they'll keep changing rules to favor offense
he quiet, he is just like tim duncan... duncan taught kawhi well. He lets his game speak for itself. In fact, almost everyone on the spurs is pretty humble, nobody really talks about them too much and you hardly hear about them in the news. They all just let their ability speak for itself... even popvich doesnt like talking in interviews that much
This dude locking down future hall of famers. His defense is outstanding.
One of the best defenders ever
it's always satisfying to see defensive-minded hardworkers shutting down media-loud diva allstars.
3:56 See how Melo gets blocked, and literally just DOESN'T get back on D, like at all? That's just classic melo man. And people are always saying how Lebron complains a lot. Melo is the whiniest star in the NBA
They are both crybaby bitches.
My opinion he could be the greatest of all time he’s an amazing player
Duncan + Kawhi is just a lethal defensive combo . Leonard could play air tight D cause he knew if he gets beat Timmy's gonna make the great and timely rotation and kawhi with his athleticism is gonna get back in the play . Man i miss TD#21
I wish Duncan was in his prime and still playing
nice defense idol kawhi leonard 2years defense award in nba 2014 and 2015
On ball is great and being able to read defenses and predict where the ball will go.
wow this guy is a killer , he made curry looked like a lil.kid steal plus dunk wowww no words this guy is a superstar in both ends....
Kwahi and Duncan... defensive masterclass.
I miss this Spurs team.
IF YOU GOT THE HAMMER...YOU GOT TO USE IT!
So nice to see someone who actually plays defense
This dudes hands are incredible. I mean not just his hands size but his ability to like always hit the ball, and not hands or arms or anything. I mean put any high school player in the world against kawahii and tell them to cross him over and he'll slap the ball away. He's incredible at that
Clamp gahhhhddd
Good feet, big hands and long arms. Great defensive player
- How to Lockdown Kevin Durant ?
- Dude just use Kawhi .
Notice how he doesn't taunt after blocking or stealing w/ a fast break. Just does what he needs to and gets back to his position.
Now that's refreshing to watch!
Kawhi such a big dude, when he shoots threes you can tell he gotta hold back a lot
Welcome to the TDOT
I really hope that Kawhi stays healthy and plays at a high level. This is the players kids should watch and emulate.His help defense, and iso defense is almost perfect. Plus he can put up over 20 when he wants.
He has potential to be one of the best all time. The fact he can clamp a top 10 player like lebron and durant is crazy. He keeeps getting better
Kawhi footwork on defence is poetry.
Kawhi is the next Jordan. He already a beast on D. He will get even better in offense than he already is. He has the best coach in the league coaching him. He almost always knows where to be on both sides of the court.
2012-2014 kawhi leonard is the best defender in that moment he just made the superstar like an average players, but also watched how Kobe destroyed Leonard's defense goes to show a post prime kobe can school a young defense minded leonard.
Yup
You can add the block on James harden here as well
3:47 You'll know "iso! iso!" is a terrible idea against the GOAT
Junias bandwagon who never watched the spurs until now
Defense like this is so cool to see ✌
MVP caliber player the last few years.
Thank you thank you for no shitty music. Liked and subbed!
His side stepping is faster than people's straightforward running lmao. Such a monster
I hope Kawhi gets to this defensive level one day again..
Everyone argue about who's the best defender😂😂😂
Ohhh yeah he's a fun guy thought😂😂😂
Who’s here after he won the chip?
Has a 6 minute video giving every top player hell at only age 25
Gotta have respect for Kawhi
I literally use to watch this every night to sleep bcs I’ve seen it so much way 2 much and now we have derozan instead 🤬🤬 mannnn wtf kawhyyy did you leave us? Lol
Yup looks like i'll be tuning into some raptors games this year lowkey
eureka0521 for sure
hes so fkin good at resetting his position
Wish i had kawhis humbleness
If I ever had kids, and if they one day become interested in basketball, I'm going to tell them to look up Kawhi's videos; he's such a complete player.
The best defensive player i have ever seen
Best defensive player since kobe for sure
DEFENSE IS LIFE
Kawhis so underrated
1:26 steals happen all the time but this kind of defense breaks offensive players
I honestly have troubles on offense every time i play pick up. So i always try to make up by D, and it works wonders. I don't understand why a lot of people are looking down on good D. Kawhi is a prime example of a beautiful D that can lead to an excellent offense.
Nice upload
It's funny he said he based his game from Melo when Melo doesn't play D 😂😂😭😭😭😭
I think he can only be a great defender if he stays with the spurs system. The way coach forces opponent to weak hand or force baseline into a center defending the rim. It adds up with his on ball defense.
Man I still miss him
Low key kryptonite of every all-star player.
This guy makes his team look so balanced and carries the Spurs so well. Maaannn just look at the Spurs.... without Kawhi they didn't even look like a playoff team against the Warriors.
But whenever Kawhi plays every Spurs player gives 100%.
There's no way ppl should hate kawhi, he stays quiet all the time and unlike other nba players, I've never heard him trashtalk before