The San Antonio Spurs All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard does absolutely everything on this coast-to-coast jam off a great defensive read in transition.
Kawhi Leonard was having himself a spectacular Game 5 for the San Antonio Spurs against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at AT&T Center. The 2015-16 NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year did it all on this late play in the fourth quarter.
Leonard put himself in perfect position defensively to pick off a poor pass by Thunder small forward Kevin Durant. Leonard forced his way down the floor on a two-on-two fast break with Durant, Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, and teammate shooting guard Danny Green.
Westbrook is arguably the fastest player on the court in every game he plays, but Leonard didn’t care because he was taking that ball to the hole on a monstrous transition jam. Green in a way set a decent screen on Durant in transition that allowed Leonard to elevate and attack the rim with great authority.
At 24 years old, Leonard is already one of the three best players in the league behind Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry and Cleveland Cavaliers point forward LeBron James. In a game that features as many potential hall of famers as does the No. 2/No. 3 Western Conference Semifinals series between the Spurs and Thunder, Leonard is playing at a completely different level from his peers.
Whether or not the Spurs advance past a fantastic Thunder team in the Western Conference Semifinals, one thing is certain: Leonard made himself a superstar in 2015-16 and it’s so ridiculously obvious in the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
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