Kawhi Leonard might not be the Toronto Raptors leader, and that’s okay

Kawhi Leonard might never be the leader of the Toronto Raptors, and that’s okay. Those questioning his leadership are focusing on the wrong things.

Kawhi Leonard has made two All-NBA teams, won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, finished third in MVP voting and won an NBA Finals MVP. He’s the best player on the Toronto Raptors and one of the five/seven best players in the NBA.

But is he a leader? Does he inspire others? I have no idea. And to be frank, I’m not sure it matters.

Popovich’s comments

Prior to the San Antonio Spurs game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Greg Popovich was asked about the importance of Patty Mills this season, after the departure of long-tenured stars like Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, and Manu Ginobili.

Gregg Popovich responded:

"“Kawhi was a great player, but he wasn’t a leader or anything,” Popovich said. “Manu and Patty were the leaders. Kawhi’s talent will always be missed, but that leadership wasn’t his deal at that time.”"

Depending on whose side you’re on, you can view the statement in one of two ways.

1. a damning piece of evidence against Kawhi Leonard’s time with the Spurs OR
2. the equivalent of a scorned lover lashing out at the ex who dumped them

Kawhi clearly took disrespect from the comment, responding with:

"“I heard about it. It’s just funny to me because, you know, I don’t know if he’s talking about last year or not, but I guess when you stop playing they forget how you lead.”"

However, I’m not sure it was meant to be disrespectful. He also didn’t mention Tony Parker as a leader of the team, good call considering what a garbage teammate he has been in the past.  Perhaps Pop was just being honest in his assessment of Kawhi.

Maybe Kawhi wasn’t a leader, and that’s okay.

Leadership from other places

Leadership is a real attribute. It’s valuable. And just because it is hard to quantify, doesn’t mean it should be dismissed.

It’s also highly subjective. Dirk Nowitzki was too soft to be a leader, then he won a title. LeBron James wasn’t assertive enough, then he won three. Michael Jordan was too selfish, then he won six. Often times we find ourselves assigning leadership retroactively to those who have found success, rather than recognizing it from the start.

As real as leadership is, there is no reason it needs to come from your best player. A longtime veteran can have as much of a voice in a locker room as the team’s best player. Udonis Haslem is in his 16th season with the Miami Heat. Do you think that is because of his rim-protection?

Furthermore, as a newcomer to Toronto, it would be really odd for Leonard to assume a leadership role right away.  — “Hey guys I know you have known and played with each other for years, but I’m here now so listen up.” –That’s not how personal relationships work.

Instead, Toronto will look to longtime locker room presence Kyle Lowry. Lowry has been the heart and soul of this team for years. There’s no reason to expect anything different with the addition of Kawhi.

Kawhi’s previous success

The most ridiculous part of any concerns about Kawhi’s ability to lead a team is they can be dismissed simply by looking at his resume.

Leonard was a winner in high-school when he finished with a record of 30-3. Leonard was a winner in college when he led his team to the sweet sixteen. Leonard has been a winner in the NBA when he won an NBA title.

Either he’s an incredible leader or we overvalue leadership from a player in his position. I tend to believe the latter, but it really doesn’t matter if the results are the same.

The Raptors haven’t failed in the playoffs the last few years due to a lack of leadership. They’ve failed due to a lack of defense and offensive efficiency. Kawhi Leonard has solved those problems. Others can solve the rest.