Toronto Raptors: Kawhi Leonard’s playoff run is one of the greatest of all-time

The Toronto Raptors are in the NBA Finals and much of that can be credited to Kawhi Leonard’s elite play in the postseason. Leonard’s playoff run has been one of the greatest of all-time.

24 years after the league expanded into Canada, the Toronto Raptors are in new territory. For the first time ever, they are in the NBA Finals. Through three series so far this postseason, Kawhi Leonard has played at a historic level.

Kawhi’s postseason run has been one of the greatest of all-time. The way he has affected both sides of the floor has been nothing short of amazing, not to mention his performance in the clutch, particularly the game’s closing moments.

With Game 1 of the Finals taking place on Thursday, it’s time to take a look at Leonard’s sensational postseason run. No matter what happens in the Finals, what we’ve seen from the Klaw up to this point is something of epic proportions.

Offensive Masterpiece

Kawhi’s offense has been something to marvel at. He has been able to get to his spots and produce points, regardless of who is guarding him. He’s been the number one stopping points for defenses all postseason, and yet, he continued to put up monster numbers.

Kawhi is currently averaging 31.2 points per game, second behind Kevin Durant (among active players). He is the playoff points leader with 561 points, more than 100 higher than the next closest player.

Perhaps the most impressive part of his performance is Leonard’s efficiency. He is shooting 50-percent from the floor, 39-percent from three, and 89-percent from the free-throw line. He’s only a couple of percentage points away from joining the 50/40/90 club.

Putting up those type of raw numbers, with that type of efficiency, puts Kawhi in historic company all-time.

Elite company

Kawhi Leonard is one of six players to ever average 31 in a single postseason with a least 17 games played. The other five players are Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Allen Iverson, and LeBron James. That is quite the company to be in when it comes to playoff greatness.

He has scored 30 or more in 11 of the 18 games he has played in this postseason. The only players to do that more than he did prior to the NBA Finals was MJ in 1989 (13) and 1990 (12), and Hakeem Olajuwon in 1995 (12).

Leonard also has seven games scoring 35+, which makes him the sixth person to ever do that in the playoffs. The others on that list are some of the games’ best offensive talents including Elgin Baylor, Bernard King, LeBron James, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Michael Jordan.

These stats not only show Kawhi’s greatness compared to other memorable postseason runs, but it also shows that Kawhi has carried the Raptors offensively, giving them points in bunches.

The play of Kawhi in the clutch has been another area of greatness for him in the postseason. In clutch time, defined as the last five minutes of a five-point game, Kawhi has averaged 5.4 points per game. That is ranked first among active players.

We’ve all been witnesses to the Klaw in the clutch, as he has hit several key bucks for Toronto in intense situations, none bigger than the first Game 7 buzzer-beat in playoff history against the Philadelphia 76ers.

What the Klaw has done in terms of Toronto Raptors playoff history is quite astounding as well. In just 17 games Kawhi has entered the top 10 when it comes to playoff points, assists, rebounds, steals, three-pointers.

Since 2000, Kawhi is the third player to lead their team in scoring in the postseason and get them to the Finals in their first year with the team. Jason Kidd and LeBron are the other two players.

Offensively, there are some great historical comps. However, it’s Kawhi’s performance on the defensive end which sets him apart from the rest.

Two-Way Domination

It’s one thing to be playing elite basketball on one end of the floor, but Kawhi is doing it at both ends. He has been the most important piece of a dominant defense.

Leonard has always been known as a two-way player, but in the postseason, he has taken it to another level. On many nights, Kawhi has had to guard the opposing team’s best offensive option, and he has done a great job shutting his assignment down.

The 1.6 steals per game average don’t give the full picture of the effectiveness the Klaw has had defensively. He has been a nuisance for his matchups, making them put up difficult shots and be careless with the ball.

His impact was the greatest during the Eastern Conference Finals. When the Raptors placed Kawhi on Giannis, it turned the series around. Giannis averaged just 15.1 points per 100  against Leonard, fewer than half as many than the next closest defender.

It’s hard to put into historical context just how great Kawhi has been defensively, but his impact has been felt regardless.

There hasn’t been a player in NBA modern history, who has scored at the level Kawhi has while also shutting down the league’s likely* MVP on the other end. Until Kawhi, who is carrying not only a team but an entire country on his back.

Country Carrier

The Toronto Raptors are unique compared to other NBA teams. They have one team representing an entire country, rather than just a city.

When Kawhi came to Canada, he had the hopes of that entire country on his back. It’s safe to say that Leonard has been able to shoulder the load and not only carry this Raptors team, but the country of Canada too.

The amount of excitement the Klaw has given to the country of Canada is of historic proportions. He single-handedly has erased the playoff demons that have plagued Toronto for years and brought them their first ever Finals trip. It’s hard to think of another playoff run that has done so much for one franchise in recent memory (only LBJ with the Cavs in 2016 comes to mind).

Through pain, periodic teammate struggles, and the gauntlet now called the Eastern Conference, Kawhi Leonard has put on a postseason performance for the ages. Very few people have been able to do what Kawhi has done in the postseason, being able to carry the load for a team on both ends of the floor.

Kawhi has at least four more games to add on to this all-time great postseason run. He’s been the MVP of the playoffs so far, and with another masterful series against the Golden State Warriors, he could receive another Finals MVP.

If Leonard has a historic Finals performance, this postseason run could go from one of the greatest ever, to THE greatest ever.