My point from the beginning is that you're comparing apples to oranges saying kawhi is better is irrelevant because they fill different roles. Others have made this point as well. Yes I personally think guys like Batum are harder to find. How many players could put up the elusive 5 points, 5 board, 5 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks? The only guy I can think of is ak47.
Well now you're just cherry-picking stats. I wonder how many guys can put up 5 fouls/5 turnovers/5 missed FTs a game over a season. That would be a unique player!
You weren't using hyperbole, though. Plus, your use of stats illustrated that Leonard is a uniquely good role player, too, which isn't at all an extreme position.
Leonard is a little better. But the Spurs are also the best coached team in the league and one of the best coached ever. I think Batum might look a lot like Leonard had he developed in the Spurs' system (and the Spurs also wanted to draft him).
Carmelo Anthony is unique in that he's the only player with a 60 point/0 assist/0 block/0 steal/0 turnover game in NBA history. http://www.basketball-reference.com...l=0&c4stat=blk&c4comp=eq&c4val=0&order_by=pts
Since Stotts became coach, Nic's assists have skyrocketed. He's really only been "New Nic" for 2 years now, and yes, McMillan parked him in the corner and didn't utilize his skillset. I think Nic's going to have a huge year again, but it won't be mind-blowing in terms of stats because he isn't asked to finish offensive plays consistently. Which makes a player seem, well, inconsistent, I suppose if you just look at stats.
Averaging 13/7.5/5 for an entire season isn't an anomaly, though, especially when you also have to defend PGs at times when your own point guard is getting torched. That's a nice anomaly to have for a starter, even if you do consider it an anomaly.
I think Leonard has certain traits (toughness, aggressiveness, crazy fast twitch fibers) that Batum doesn't posses When he's really going he can impose his will on both sides of the floor, and he just turned 23 Give me Kawhi Leonard 10 times out of 10
It's a stat line that helped lead to a 54-win season on a team that had a horrible bench. 13/7.5/5 on the Kings is a stat line. 13/7.5/5 on a 54-win team is a productive and very good player.
I would rather have Leonard to be fair. And Roytoy is right. Leonard is more aggressive and has that killer instinct
Agreed He played a good role on the Blazers last year as a nice complimentary piece to Lillard and Aldridge Probably the 4th best starter last year for the Blazers, as I think Robin Lopez was more important
Paul George's TS% last season was only .551, though his USG was 28.3. Maybe Stotts should utilize Nico and his .586 TS$ even more in the offense? .551 TS% player are a dime a dozen.
So now we're debating on who you'd rather have. The NBA Finals MVP, or Nic Batum, and it's a serious discussion. That kind of tells me Nic's a very good player.
