You won't believe how badly Kawhi Leonard dominated Paul George
On Monday night, the San Antonio Spurs faced the Indiana Pacers, and the matchup was heavily anticipated for one reason: Kawhi Leonard vs. Paul George.
In a world where Stephen Curry does not exist, Leonard and George are neck and neck for the 2015-16 MVP award. Both players are having monstrous seasons for their respective teams, and both are in the conversation for "best two-way wing" in the galaxy.
The debate about who's better has raged on all year, and, statistically, there's almost no way to decide which player is superior.
George hasn't been nearly as efficient, but his team relies on him to do so much more. The ball is always in his hands. He's picking defenses apart in the pick-and-roll, reading schemes, dribbling through double teams and performing with a higher degree of difficulty. On the other end, he guards the other team's best wing and does a very good job.
Leonard's shooting splits are a dream, but he exists within the sport's most nurturing incubator. LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are his teammates. Gregg Popovich is his coach. It's basketball heaven.
That said, San Antonio's ecosystem might collapse without its 24-year-old superstar dominating on a nightly basis. And against the Pacers, Leonard demonstrated that he might very well be the best player in the league outside of the reigning MVP. He defended George from the opening tip to the final whistle, and, well, it was a blood bath:
Frankly, it's not surprising. The Spurs are once again flying under the radar, and that lack of attention means Leonard isn't getting the applause he's earned. There isn't a better perimeter defender in the league. The thought of the Spurs wing switching onto Curry should give Golden State nightmares, because Leonard has the strength, length and smarts to make Curry hate every minute he's on the court.
George is fantastic in his own right, of course. And this was only one game. But Leonard clearly got the better of George, and Leonard's team got the win. It wasn't particularly close.
The Spurs and Pacers meet again on March 7. There's a good chance Indiana's All-Star already has that date circled.
