Kawhi Leonard seems destined for a Hall of Fame career, but would the Toronto Raptors star qualify if he never played again?
One of my favorite offseason NBA games to play is the classic, if X player retired right now, would they be a Hall of Famer one. When applied to the right player, like Kawhi Leonard, it can be a pretty fun game.
Unfortunately it’s usually played with more boring players, like Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony. Dwight and Carmelo have complicated pasts, sure, but their resumes are beyond solid. Those dudes are in.
Kawhi, on the other hand, might not be. For a 27-year-old, his resume is very impressive. Kawhi is a two-time All-Star, an NBA champion and Finals MVP, he placed on two All-NBA teams, four All-Defensive teams and is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
The newfound Raptor doesn’t have a whole lot on his resume besides those accolades. Kawhi had a relatively quiet collegiate career, and almost everything he’s accomplished came across three NBA seasons. He’s only scored more than 16 points per game in two of those.
Are those shiny accolades enough to get Kawhi in the Hall? The answer is maybe. Sidney Moncrief is another incredible defender who racked up five consecutive All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive team seasons. He has two DPOYs as well, although Kawhi’s got championship prestige that Moncrief sadly doesn’t.
Sid the Squid is, somehow, not in the Hall of Fame. His peak is something like twice as long as Kawhi’s, but he doesn’t have the title to his name. Does that Finals MVP more than make up for such a shorter run?
I say no. Not yet. Leonard is likely Hall of Fame bound, but such a short prime (thus far) precludes him from being a lock already. If Moncrief isn’t in, Kawhi shouldn’t be either.
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