San Antonio Spurs: Kawhi Leonard Making The Leap

When the San Antonio Spurs traded George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for the rights to Kawhi Leonard on draft night in 2011, they were giving up a smart, team-oriented point guard that coach Gregg Popovich loved in exchange for a young, athletic wing who had inexplicably fallen all the way to No. 15.

No offense to George Hill and his newly bleached hair, but the Spurs have that tough decision to thank for the fact that once Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are gone, this franchise’s championship ways will live on.

While the offseason additions of LaMarcus Aldridge and David West got all the headlines this summer (and for good reason), the truth is that San Antonio would still have been a title contender with another year of development from Kawhi Leonard.

Despite having won a Finals MVP Award and Defensive Player of the Year Award already, Leonard still hadn’t had that breakout season to cement his place among the league’s biggest stars. Until now, that is.

We’re only four games into the 2015-16 season, but it’s safe to say that Kawhi Leonard is ready to make the leap. Provided he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think this won’t be his greatest season yet. Here’s a look at Leonard’s development on both ends of the floor, including his fit with the new-look Spurs moving forward.

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