Gregg Popovich sees Kawhi Leonard becoming the face of San Antonio Spurs in future – NBA News
When one thinks of the San Antonio Spurs, the name of Tim Duncan immediately comes to mind. Duncan, arguably one of the best power forwards to ever play the game, was drafted number 1 by Gregg Popovich and the Spurs. And since
then, he has remained with the Spurs over a long and illustrious career in which he won four NBA championships.
Duncan made the Spurs the most relevant franchise in the NBA over the past decade, along with the Los Angeles Lakers. Over the past few seasons however, age has caught up with Duncan and limited what he can do for the team, which
has compelled the Spurs to shifting their focus from front court to back court and Tony Parker rising among the ranks.
But, legendary Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich feels there is another player on the Spurs roster who has all the ingredients of becoming the next franchise player.
And that player is sophomore Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard was drafted by Indiana Pacers last season only to be sent immediately to the Spurs, and will enter his sophomore season in November with them. He played one year of college ball, but has taken no time in adjusting to the
NBA.
Last season, Leonard averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He worked hard to earn a spot in the starting five for the Spurs in his first season, and played 24 minutes per game for a team that does not give too much playing
time to rookies.
In an interview with Popovich that was uploaded on Spurs.com, Popovich talked about Leonard and what the future holds for the sophomore.
“I think he’s going to be a star. And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player. And what makes me be so confident about him is that he wants it so badly.
He wants to be a good player, I mean a great player. He comes early, he stays late, and he’s coachable, he’s just like a sponge. When you consider he’s only had one year of college and no training camp yet, you can see that he’s going to be something else.”
Leonard will be an interesting player to watch next season, as he grows accustomed to the NBA and takes over a greater role in the team. The Spurs will be out to prove they are still dominant in the Western Conference next season,
with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers being in the spotlight for much of the time.
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