San Antonio Spurs
Nice Surprise: Kawhi Leonard
We knew he was going to really good. But a potential MVP? Let’s get nerdy for a second because that’s the only way to appreciate the beauty of Kawhi Leonard’s game. He leads the league in Defensive Win Shares with 4.0. and is fourth in Offensive Win Shares with 4.2. No other player is in the top 10 in both, with Russell Westbrook (11th and 2nd) and Jimmy Butler (14th and 8th) the only ones in the top 15. He has the third highest plus/minus and the third highest value over a replacement player in the league. But here’s the catch. He’s not even in the top 20 in usage rate or minutes per game, meaning he’s ungodly efficient. One more note. According to ESPN’s Stats and Information crew, opposing starting shooting guards and small forwards only averaged 18.6 points per game in December, by far the lowest total in the league. You can thank Leonard for that, Spurs fans. So about Stephen Curry or Russell Westbrook or Lebron James being the only MVP candidates…I think it’s time to add a fourth name to that list.
Needs Improvement: Attack the rim more
It’s so tough to find a problem with the Spurs. In almost every other season, they’d be league’s best team. Defensively Tony Parker can hang with anyone and Danny Green leads all shooting guards in defensive win shares. Leonard gives them versatility and the Tim Duncan/ Lemarcus Aldridge combo provides two adequate shot blockers down low. The Spurs bench is deep and the Greg Popovich system is full proof. Offensively, San Antonio is tenth in the league in scoring, which is good for a half-court team. But they’re in the bottom half of the league in shot attempts within five feet despite having the league’s third best percentage from that distance. With an aggressive point guard like Tony Parker and Aldridge, one of the league’s most talented low-post scorers, the Spurs should be attacking the rim more often.
Next: Golden State Warriors