Maybe it's time to actually take Charles Barkley seriously.
On Thursday night, Chuck graced the studio of TNT's Inside the NBA with a seemingly wild revelation.
"Kawhi Leonard is the best player in the world, in my opinion," said Barkley.
The 11-time All-Star has had some rather extravagant sound bites over the years, including his recent doubt over the ability of the Golden State Warriors, which hit a wonderfully comedic turn when Chuck was forced to wear this shirt. Yet, Barkley may truly be on to something here. As LeBron James trudges through his 12th NBA season, it's almost time for a new NBA superstar to emerge. Stephen Curry has quickly taken the league by storm, and has certainly become the brightest offensive star in the game, but is the two-way prowess of the ever-improving Kawhi Leonard a more rightful candidate to Barkley's "best player in the world" throne? Let's take a look.
When thinking about the NBA's best, it's important to zoom in on every facet of the game. Luckily, Leonard has shown dominance in numerous ways throughout his NBA career. Pundits rave over Kawhi's sparkling defense, but some are yet to realize Leonard's stunning offense, which has quietly snuck into the top tier of the league.
Kawhi has plenty of eye-popping stats on the offensive side of the ball. He leads the league in three-point field goal percentage at a 48.3 percent mark, and he's fifth amongst non-big men in field goal percentage. Leonard also has the fifth highest PER in the league, behind only Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and LeBron. The statistics, as always, go on and on, but to truly appreciate Leonard--and to perhaps crown him as the league's best--you need to take a long look at what he can do on the court, not just on paper.
This season, Leonard has continued his yearly trend of upping his offensive game, showcasing his deadliest "update" yet. Leonard still goes through his off-the-ball motions to perfection in Gregg Popovich's "move n' groove" offense; he crisply comes off screens, his passes are smart and precise, and he rotates around the court with ease. Leonard always seemed like the perfect puzzle piece in Pop's jigsaw; he's been the perfect athletic wing to ease pressure off the aging Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, and he's presented himself as a wonderful emulation of Bruce Bowen, Pop's starting small forward throughout the 2000s who was a key player on San Antonio's championship teams last decade. But Leonard can do more than nail corner threes and defend the best player on the court. No, Kawhi Anthony Leonard can do much much more.
Kawhi is a true attacker on offense now. For a proper visual, check out this SB Nation article, which is chock full of fabulous examples of Kawhi's sparkling offense. Leonard is a nightmare to defend nowadays. While this is partially because of the Spurs' swift and fluid offense which often puts defenses on skates, and creates an enormous amount of chances for every black and white jersey on the floor, Leonard has morphed into a matchup nightmare because he has realized how to create for himself.
Much like the best players in the league, Kawhi knows how to free himself up with on-ball screens, how to speed past slower defenders, and how to use his strength and size to pound his way through smaller guys. Kawhi is doing it all brilliantly, and it's helping his team become the most dominant in the league. But, the last example truly corroborates the incredible growth of Leonard's game; the Spurs aren't just putting Kawhi in catch and shoot situations on the elbow anymore. Leonard is now catching the ball on the wing only to square up and shoot, or to back down his defender, spinning his way right to the rim, where he finishes 75 percent of his shots -- four points higher than LeBron.
Kawhi now has the full package on offense. He's smart with the ball -- Leonard only averages 1.4 turnovers per game -- his three-point stroke is elite, he can finish at the rim, and he can create for himself. Leonard is a more raw version of the NBA's best scoring wings, but his game is becoming more and more polished by the day. His jab step is reminiscent of Carmelo Anthony, his slashing is LeBron-esque, he's been a better three-point shooter than Steph Curry in 2015-16, and his turnaround jumper may soon be as slick as Michael Jordan's. But what separates Kawhi from the NBA's best scorers? His otherworldly, dominating defense.
Since his rookie year, Leonard has brilliantly displayed his masterful defending. And alongside Popovich, Leonard has blossomed into the NBA's finest perimeter defender. Both on and off the ball, Kawhi is sparkling, persistent and vigorous, and he's been locking down the league's best for a while now. This season, Leonard boasts the NBA's second best defensive rating -- just half a point behind Tim Duncan -- and he's amongst the league leaders in steals and defensive win shares. But once again, Leonard's defensive dominance needs to be seen in order to truly be comprehended.
When you watch Kawhi on TV, it's easy to notice his work ethic. He scrambles all over the court, lunging for steals, poking his giant hands out to tip passes, and leaping tall buildings (aka Tim Duncan) to snag seven rebounds per game. On defense, he does it all; Leonard scraps, bruises and works as hard as anyone while defending. To give you an idea of Leonard's persistence, watch this video.
While the whole video clip is phenomenal, at the 3:40 to 4:15 minute mark it shows Kawhi's scrappiness and persistence being displayed on the biggest stage. By that point in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals, LeBron James had scored 19 points. But as Leonard repeatedly thrust his watermelon-sized hands in James' face, he tired out the King, eventually allowing the Spurs to go on a tremendous run to blow out the Miami Heat and win the NBA Championship. A few minutes after the final buzzer sounded, Kawhi Anthony Leonard was named Finals MVP.
That series was Kawhi's trampoline into the sky of NBA greatness. He was phenomenal, particularly in Games 3 through 5, where he looked like the best player on the floor. Before Game 5, NBA TV flashed a rather incredible statistical comparison on their screen:
Leonard didn't just look like the best player on the floor, he was the best player on the floor. He was scoring, rebounding, and defending in dominating fashion. After Miami opened up an early 14-point lead in Game 5, Kawhi set the tone for the Spurs' comeback. He played confidently, defiantly, and he made his teammates better. Leonard was playing like a superstar, and he's built his Finals performance into truly becoming one.
This season, Leonard is shining on both sides of the court. He's one of the league's most able scorers, and the best perimeter defender in the game. Kawhi is showing the basketball world that not only can he roll with the best, but he may actually be the best. He's a big game player, a matchup nightmare, and he doesn't talk a lot because his game does it all for him. Leonard is blossoming into the NBA's new King, the league's new poster-boy for greatness. Sure, he isn't as flashy as Steph, and he may not be as iconic as LeBron, but Leonard is becoming a two-way monster, a king on defense and a quiet assassin on offense. It's time for the basketball universe to open its eyes.
Kawhi Anthony Leonard is the best player in the world. And Charles Barkley agrees.