On two consecutive plays, Kawhi Leonard just simply took the ball from Ben McLemore and scored. (It looked less like an NBA game that a backyard matchup where an older brother tortures his sibling.) Leonard’s display of dominance dictated the game’s end, as San Antonio won its second straight beating the Kings 102-94. Leonard — who won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award last season — is taking his defense to a level that reminds old-timers of Walt “Clyde” Frazier during his Knicks heyday. Like Leonard, Frazier was known for his defensive prowess yet was also capable of powerful offense (Frazier — a Hall of Famer — memorably scored 36 points with 19 assists as the Knicks won Game 7 of the 1970 Finals.)
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Leonard’s ferocity: ”He took two away in a row and said `Gimme that.’ He just grabbed it and took it twice in a row. I don’t see many people doing that.” Those were just two of Leonard’s five steals in the game. Leonard had 30 points following 35 in the opener. Check out the videos below featuring some of Frazier’s defensive prowess, and some of Leonard’s.
