re: Why is Kawhi Leonard getting a pass?

Even a lot of honest Spurs fans I know will tell you Kawhi is still a system player to an extent.

They wouldn't hesitate to say that if you swapped PG or Durant for Kawhi that the Spurs would be better. Kawhi definitely benefits from being brought up in arguably the best organization in the league over the last two decades and the best coach in the league currently all using him optimally and not pushing him beyond his limits. Not to say Kawhi isnt a good player in his own right, but I doubt he is the Kawhi we know if he was drafted by probably 20-25 other teams and not the Spurs.

He's still great offensively though. Even if part of the reason why is the system and coaching utilization. I don't think he is ready to take over a game in iso after iso situation and get you 50 points but that isnt Pop's style anyway. If Kawhi became that fine, he would ride the hot hand like he did LMA in games 1 and 2 of the Thunder series but Kawhi buys in and plays for Pop's system almost perfectly. Which over the long run may be better then what PG does stuck on the revolving door of coaches Bird keeps saddling him with.

The reason the Spurs lost isnt because of Kawhi. Its because father time seemed to finally catch up completely to the old guard of the Spurs and the new guard hasn't been established enough to pick up the slack. Give them an offseason where they likely add Conley(maybe even a long shot at Horford) and get back to me next season when the new guard is lighting up the playoffs.