The Spurs’ sustained success as an organization can make it difficult to appreciate the individual ebbs and flows of its players, especially when a narrative latches on. For Kawhi Leonard, there was a certain cross-section of people in and around the league that felt the San Antonio system was propping up his offensive production. And while fans have (mostly) moved beyond that assessment this season, it can take time for perception to fully catch up with reality.
He’s still a dynamite defender (despite some weirdness in his numbers) who will in all likelihood finish on the All-Defensive 1st Team, even if he misses out on his third-straight DPOY.