Kawhi Leonard: Career Playoff Highlight Thread.

First of all, this is a man who has started in every single playoff game he's ever played in. No need for the pine, this guy has been capable from the start.

18.3pts, 7.5rbd, 2.1ast, 1.6stl, 0.6blk. 1.6TO. 51.9/42.3/81.7 shooting splits.

Rookie Kawhi would have 5 key games in the '12 playoffs. These were the only 5 games Kawhi scored in double digits, however he managed averages of:

16.4pts, 7.4rbd, 0.6ast, 1.8stl, 0.8blk. 1.4TO. 75/68.2/87.5 shooting splits.

Madethree 3's a game. Not bad for a 4th option.

Then we have the infamous run of '13, that saw a loss in the 7th game of the Finals. Still the 4th option, Kawhi would set the foundation for what was to come in the next few years.

13.5pts, 9rbd, 1ast, 1.8stl, 0.5blk. 1.1 TO. 54.5/39/63 shooting splits.

7 double-double games of pts/rbd.

18/21 games of double digit scoring.

13/21 games over 50 FG%.

Never had a game without an defensive numbers.

Despits a loss in the Finals, closed the series with 20.5pts/13.5rbd/2stl/0.5blk. 1TO. 54.8 FG%.

Again, the 4th option.

Now for the coming-out party. Now the 3rd option on the team, Kawhi was able to take even more of a crucial roll which saw him take the Finals MVP following the 4-1 defeat of the Miami Heat. The largest combined margin in a 5-game NBA Finals series.

In 5 games in which Kawhi scored 20 or more points, the Spurs went 5-0. Across those 5 games, Kawhi averaged:

22.6pts, 8rbd, 1.8ast, 2.6stl, 1.6blk. 1TO. 69.5/66.7/81 shooting splits.

23 a game averaging only 12 shots and 4 free throws a game is crazy on top of the defence!

After spliting the first 2 games of the Finals, Kawhi would grab the last 3 by the neck for a Finals MVP.

Gm3: 29-4-2-2-2. 1. 77/50/86.

Gm4: 20-14-3-3-3. 1. 58/33/83.

Gm5: 22-10-2-1-1. 3. 70/75/83.

Last 3 games: 24/9/3/2/2. 2. 69/54/84. Against LeBron, Wade, and Bosh.

2015 saw the Spurs out after a major battle against the Clippers. This saw Kawhi attempt a dozen shots from the field in every game for the first time in a playoff run, beginngin the transition process for that years DPOY to lead the side in 2016.

Leonard would have his first ever 30-point playoff game in '15. 32pts with 72.2/60/100 splits. For his career (end of '19 ECSF) Kawhi has had 14 playoff games of 30pts, with 12 of them being on 50 FG%. His teams are 10/2 when Kawhi has 30pts on 50 FG%.

The '16 playoffs saw Kawhi average 23pts, 6rbd, 3ast, 3stl, 1blk. 2TO on 50/44/82 shooting.

2-0 when scoring 30, all but 1 game with at least a steal.

His best game aginst Memphis? Gm3: 32-7-2-4-5. 0TO. 50/66.7/80.

Only the 8th playoff game of 30pts, 4stl, 50 FG%, 0TO EVER!

Coming off an MVP calibre season in '17, the playoffs saw Kawhi injured in game 1 of the Conference Finals, a game that saw him and his team up 20 on the eventual champion Warriors.

The '17 playoffs saw Kawhi have dominant performances in the two series prior.

Rnd 1: 31.2pts, 6rbd, 3.8ast, 2stl, 0.2blk. 2.3 TO. 54.8/48.3/96.7.

BEST GAMES.

Gm1: 32-3-5-2-0. 2. 78.6/33.3/100.
Gm2: 37-11-2-0-0. 4. 64.3/00/100.
Gm4: 43-8-3-6-0. 4. 46.7/70/100.

The Conference Semi-Finals were no different.

23.8pts, 9.8rbd, 5.8ast, 1.4stl, 1blk. 2.2TO. 49.4/45.5/83.3.

BEST GAMES.

Gm1: 21-11-6-0-1. 1. 35.7/42.9/100.
Gm2: 34-7-8-3-1. 2. 81.3/75/100.
Gm3: 26-10-7-1-0. 3. 45/66.7/75.
Gm5: 22-15-4-2-2. 2. 38.1/25/83.3

Not participating in the '18 playoffs, Leonards run so far in '19 has been nothing short of amazing on any level.

Through 12 games...

31.8pts, 8.5rbd, 3.6ast, 1.3stl, 0,3blk. 3.1TO. 53.9/40.8/86.8.

A gentleman sweep of the Magic and a series winning go-ahead shot vs Phily!

Kawhi has 7 games of 30 points or more so far, with 6 of them at over 54 FG% and a W/L of 5/2. Those 7 games average out at:

37.7pts, 7.7rbd, 3.6ast, 1.4stl, 0.6blk. 3TO. 57.6/42/89.2!

In 5 games vs Orlando: 28/7/3/1/0. 3. 56/54/89.

4/5 games over 55 FG%. 2 Games of 30 points or more. Accounted for the Magic how he should have.

In the biggest series of his career (until he faces the Bucks), Kawhi came out like a mn possessed. Despite being down 3-2 heading into a game 6 in Phily, Leonard led his team back to Toronto to hit the biggest shot of his career at the end of regulation in game 7.

Leonard in 7 games scored 243 points, the most in any playoff series since Michael Jordan in the 1993 NBA Finals.

Kawhi's averages for the series saw him post a rounded. 35/10/4/1/0. 3. 53/33/86.

5 games of 30 points.
4 games of 35 points.
2 games of 40 points.

Players to score at least 240pts on 50 FG% in a playoff series (per @bball_ref).

Wilt, '64.
West, '66.
Kareem, '77.
Jordan, '93.
LeBron, '18.
Kawhi, '19.

Kawhi joins an elite list with that series performance.

In the two games Kawhi didn't score 30, he had two 20pt/10rbd double-doubles, leading the He led or tied for the lead in rebounding for both teams in both of those games. So not only was he relied upon to carry the offence, he also had to gee the rock for the team.

If you can't tell how dependent the Raptors are on Kawhi to deliver:

Kawhi has scored 30.7% of the Raptors points at 53.9 FG%.
Without him they average 71.75 points a game on 42.3%

Thats the equivilent of the support the '64 Warriors gave Wilt (71.8 PPG on 43.3 FG%).

Although Wilt in that playoff run scored 32.6% of his teams points on 54.3%, the similarities still stand.

I AM IN NO WAY SAYING HE IS SCORING LIKE WILT CHAMBERLAIN.

I am merely pointing out the load he is bearing on an all-time scale.

Overall, its finally good to see Kawhi delivering in what should be the start of his absolute prime to a level that can be and will be compared throughout history to the greats. Now, to see what he can do vs the 60 Win Bucks, a team that could go all the way this season.

Well, now we have the answer. The Raptors are off to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Gm 1: 31-9-2-3-0. 3. 38.5/20/100
Gm 2: 31-8-2-0-1. 2. 55.6/25/100
Gm 3: 36-9-5-2-1. 5. 44/50/92.3
Gm 5: 35-7-9-2-0. 1. 44/62.5/88.9
Gm 6: 27-17-7-2-2. 6. 40.9/12.5/72.7

The NBA Finals saw the Raptors taking on the Warriors who were attempting the first three-peat of championships since the Lakers of 2000-2002. Kawhi's big match-up in Durant was out with injury, the question was could he capitalise.

Game 1 saw Leonard provide a somewhat supporting role to Pascal Siakam who stepped up in a big way. Kawhi still managed 23-8-5-1-0 as the Raptors took game 1.

Game 2 saw the Warriors bounce back to tie the series. Kawhi would have the fist of three straight 30-point games.
34-14-3-1-1 wasn't enough as sub-par shooting proved a thorn.

With Thompson missing with a hamstring strain and Kevin durant not yet back, Kawhi would produce his best game of the series so far with 30-7-6-2-2 with efficient scoring as the Raptors went 2-1 up on the series.

Klay Thompson returned for the Warriors in Game 4, but it wasn't enough as the Raptors went 3-1 up on the series. Kawhi with another big game, particularly in the third, helped the Raptors get one hand on the Larry O'Brien Trophy

Kawhi: 36-12-2-4-1 @ 50/55.6/100

With the Championship on the line, Kevin Durant returned for a quarter and a half for 11 points before blowing his achiles out for 12 months. 26-12-6-2-2 from Kawhi wasn't enough as the Warriors extended the series to 6.

Game 6 and the first championship ever for the Raptors. Kawhi with 22-6-3-2-1 wrapped up the Finals MVP, despite the loss of Klay Thompson to an ACL injury. Kawhi would leave the Raptors in the off-seasons, but his resume as a big-game player continued to grow in leaps and bounds

In winning the Finals MVP, Kawhi became the first player in league history to win the award in the East and West conference. Being at the Clippers, he will aim for back to back Championships with two historically poor franchises, along with Finals MVP awards.