Author Topic: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club  (Read 1970 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« on: February 04, 2023, 04:54:56 AM »

Offline GreenlyGreeny

  • NCE
  • Bailey Howell
  • **
  • Posts: 2116
  • Tommy Points: 94
The rumors of Kawhi being toast are grossly exaggerated: Go check his game logs since January 1. He’s definitely back. He basically decided to take most of 2021 and almost all of 2022 off to ensure he’s back to 100%. November/December was just him warming up. Mark my words: The Clips will be in the WCF, maybe even the Finals, because of Klaw.

The brilliance of Klaw is perhaps best illustrated by the dude having a career steals-to-turnovers ratio in excess of 1.0, over twice the average of most all-stars (even MJ only had 0.86). Five steals with zero turnovers the other night in a 30+ point game. The psychology of stealing so much without turning it over is powerful, and it’s one of the many reasons why Kawhi’s teams barely ever lose three in a row. He’s still the best perimeter defensive player since MJ/Glove, and the best clutch shooter since MJ. His BBIQ is easily the highest in the league in this era. He does all of the little things to position his teammates for the greatest probability of success in his endless quest to win like Larry Bird and Bill Russell before him. He just quietly outsmarts everyone and contributes more to wins than any other active player. Celtic Pride if ever I saw an example in a non-Celtic.

Klaw even has the best winning percentage in league history, ahead of Magic and Bird in 2nd and 3rd. It’s a question of whether he will end with 4, 5 or 6 rings when it’s all said and done. We would be incredibly lucky to have him paired with JT/Smart/Timelord, and would become a dynasty with Kawhi cementing his status as the second best player of the post-MJ period. Heck, I would take prime Kawhi over prime LeBron, too - go watch the 2014 NBA Finals again, Kawhi’s Mona Lisa shutdown of Prime LeBron age 29 when Kawhi was only 22!! And to bookend that, he did the unbelievable of bringing a professional sports title to a Canadian club, the first time that has happened in nearly three decades. On a one-year-rental, which never produced a ring before or since. Who knows what rings 3 and 4 will look like (dare I say 5 and 6?).

For the above reasons, I think Kawhi is a basketball genius and a basketball legend who does not get his due. If you agree, feel free to add to this Kawhi appreciation thread.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2023, 05:03:43 AM by GreenlyGreeny »

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2023, 11:32:48 AM »

Offline Kernewek

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3798
  • Tommy Points: 262
  • International Superstar
I think he's a great example of a player who's true heights will never be properly evaluated because of his injuries. In some respects, he's no different from T-Mac, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway &c. Let's put it this way: he hasn't played 75% of a regular season since 2016.

What separates him from guys like McGrady, Hill, Hardaway, &c. is his chip with Toronto as their best player and the fact that he's played in the load management era. He was definitely a great asset for San Antonio, but mostly because he figured out how to shoot - not a given.

I still think your steals to turnovers metric is hilarious, especially for guys that aren't primary ball handlers. Winning percentage for anyone who spent time on the Duncan-era Spurs is going to be boosted by being on the winning-est team in NBA history.
Man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time.

But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2023, 04:06:03 PM »

Offline GreenlyGreeny

  • NCE
  • Bailey Howell
  • **
  • Posts: 2116
  • Tommy Points: 94
I think he's a great example of a player who's true heights will never be properly evaluated because of his injuries. In some respects, he's no different from T-Mac, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway &c. Let's put it this way: he hasn't played 75% of a regular season since 2016.

What separates him from guys like McGrady, Hill, Hardaway, &c. is

What separates him from those guys is rings, including a ring for shutting down prime LeBron at age 29 in the 2014 NBA Finals after spending an entire year focused on avenging the 2013 NBA Finals, and somehow single-handedly bringing a ring to the Canadian club in 2019—and Klaw’s story is far from over, unlike the other players listed above.

Quote
Winning percentage for anyone who spent time on the Duncan-era Spurs is going to be boosted by being on the winning-est team in NBA history.

Yet Duncan is only 8th in all-time winning percentage. And his story is over, and was almost over just when Kawhi’s was getting started.

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2023, 04:16:35 PM »

Offline Phantom255x

  • Larry Bird
  • *****************************
  • Posts: 29510
  • Tommy Points: 2923
  • On To Banner 18!
Look, I'm a huge Kawhi fan but I can't ignore how the last few seasons have transpired. If you ask me, the Clippers have been one of the most disappointing franchises in recent years just when you consider the talent they acquired, the hype it all came with, and then what they've done.

We'll see how far the Clips go in the playoffs, but right now it's not even a guarantee yet that they make it, and also will Kawhi even remain healthy the rest of this season? Not a guarantee either.

And sorry but I'm not even gonna bother with some of the MJ comparisons tbh. We're not even close to that sort of discussion even just talking playoff career performances.
"Tough times never last, but tough people do." - Robert H. Schuller

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2023, 04:35:41 PM »

Offline Kernewek

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3798
  • Tommy Points: 262
  • International Superstar
I think he's a great example of a player who's true heights will never be properly evaluated because of his injuries. In some respects, he's no different from T-Mac, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway &c. Let's put it this way: he hasn't played 75% of a regular season since 2016.

What separates him from guys like McGrady, Hill, Hardaway, &c. is

What separates him from those guys is rings, including a ring for shutting down prime LeBron at age 29 in the 2014 NBA Finals after spending an entire year focused on avenging the 2013 NBA Finals, and somehow single-handedly bringing a ring to the Canadian club in 2019—and Klaw’s story is far from over, unlike the other players listed above.

Quote
Winning percentage for anyone who spent time on the Duncan-era Spurs is going to be boosted by being on the winning-est team in NBA history.

Yet Duncan is only 8th in all-time winning percentage. And his story is over, and was almost over just when Kawhi’s was getting started.

I said as much in the post that you edited out - but 'shutting down' a guy who averaged just shy of 28-8-4 on .68%TS? Leonard did a great job in this series, but he was a very good 3 and D guy. You don't get to rewrite the story of the series because of who he turned into later.

You're choosing to ignore the parts of my post that don't fit your narrative, which is fine, and I love your enthusiasm, but Leonard simply doesn't play enough.


Edit: that's before we get to the "not three, not four" part of the post, which is quite reminiscent...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYe8B--jrbs
Man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time.

But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2023, 05:17:42 PM »

Online Goldstar88

  • Danny Ainge
  • **********
  • Posts: 10675
  • Tommy Points: 1416
The way Kawhi plays reminds me of Jordan and Kobe. Certain fluidity to his game that’s rare. He’s a better shooter than I thought, with career averages of 49/38/86. It’s really a shame that he’s missed so much time due to injury. One of the most under appreciated players in the NBA. Greenly, hope after this thread we can give Leonard a rest for a while.
Quoting Nick from the now locked Ime thread:
Quote
At some point you have to blame the performance on the court on the players on the court. Every loss is not the coach's fault and every win isn't because of the players.

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2023, 05:27:38 PM »

Offline GetLucky

  • Don Chaney
  • *
  • Posts: 1760
  • Tommy Points: 349
The way Kawhi plays reminds me of Jordan and Kobe. Certain fluidity to his game that’s rare. He’s a better shooter than I thought, with career averages of 49/38/86. It’s really a shame that he’s missed so much time due to injury. One of the most under appreciated players in the NBA. Greenly, hope after this thread we can give Leonard a rest for a while.

I think Kawhi, in terms of exactly how he dominates a game, is the closest to Jordan we've seen or will ever get, especially now that the midrange is out of style.

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2023, 04:59:08 PM »

Online ozgod

  • JoJo White
  • ****************
  • Posts: 16755
  • Tommy Points: 1362
Always injured. Appreciate him for sure, but don't want him on the Cs.
Any odd typos are because I suck at typing on an iPhone :D

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2023, 05:08:30 PM »

Online Goldstar88

  • Danny Ainge
  • **********
  • Posts: 10675
  • Tommy Points: 1416
It’s really a shame that he’s always injured. First two games of the Clippers/Suns series Leonard was unreal. Looked like the Kawhi that won a championship In Toronto. He’s my favorite non Celtics player to watch. Just an absolute beast on both ends of the court.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2023, 05:27:43 PM by Goldstar88 »
Quoting Nick from the now locked Ime thread:
Quote
At some point you have to blame the performance on the court on the players on the court. Every loss is not the coach's fault and every win isn't because of the players.

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2023, 06:30:51 PM »

Offline A Future of Stevens

  • Jim Loscutoff
  • **
  • Posts: 2524
  • Tommy Points: 486
Hes a fantastic player. You just can't really build your team around the assumption that he will be healthy for the playoffs.
#JKJB

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2023, 06:34:06 PM »

Offline celticsclay

  • Reggie Lewis
  • ***************
  • Posts: 15739
  • Tommy Points: 1386
The rumors of Kawhi being toast are grossly exaggerated: Go check his game logs since January 1. He’s definitely back. He basically decided to take most of 2021 and almost all of 2022 off to ensure he’s back to 100%. November/December was just him warming up. Mark my words: The Clips will be in the WCF, maybe even the Finals, because of Klaw.

The brilliance of Klaw is perhaps best illustrated by the dude having a career steals-to-turnovers ratio in excess of 1.0, over twice the average of most all-stars (even MJ only had 0.86). Five steals with zero turnovers the other night in a 30+ point game. The psychology of stealing so much without turning it over is powerful, and it’s one of the many reasons why Kawhi’s teams barely ever lose three in a row. He’s still the best perimeter defensive player since MJ/Glove, and the best clutch shooter since MJ. His BBIQ is easily the highest in the league in this era. He does all of the little things to position his teammates for the greatest probability of success in his endless quest to win like Larry Bird and Bill Russell before him. He just quietly outsmarts everyone and contributes more to wins than any other active player. Celtic Pride if ever I saw an example in a non-Celtic.

Klaw even has the best winning percentage in league history, ahead of Magic and Bird in 2nd and 3rd. It’s a question of whether he will end with 4, 5 or 6 rings when it’s all said and done. We would be incredibly lucky to have him paired with JT/Smart/Timelord, and would become a dynasty with Kawhi cementing his status as the second best player of the post-MJ period. Heck, I would take prime Kawhi over prime LeBron, too - go watch the 2014 NBA Finals again, Kawhi’s Mona Lisa shutdown of Prime LeBron age 29 when Kawhi was only 22!! And to bookend that, he did the unbelievable of bringing a professional sports title to a Canadian club, the first time that has happened in nearly three decades. On a one-year-rental, which never produced a ring before or since. Who knows what rings 3 and 4 will look like (dare I say 5 and 6?).

For the above reasons, I think Kawhi is a basketball genius and a basketball legend who does not get his due. If you agree, feel free to add to this Kawhi appreciation thread.

This hasn’t aged well.

Re: Kawhi’s Celtic Pride Appreciation Club
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2023, 07:46:14 PM »

Online Goldstar88

  • Danny Ainge
  • **********
  • Posts: 10675
  • Tommy Points: 1416
The rumors of Kawhi being toast are grossly exaggerated: Go check his game logs since January 1. He’s definitely back. He basically decided to take most of 2021 and almost all of 2022 off to ensure he’s back to 100%. November/December was just him warming up. Mark my words: The Clips will be in the WCF, maybe even the Finals, because of Klaw.

The brilliance of Klaw is perhaps best illustrated by the dude having a career steals-to-turnovers ratio in excess of 1.0, over twice the average of most all-stars (even MJ only had 0.86). Five steals with zero turnovers the other night in a 30+ point game. The psychology of stealing so much without turning it over is powerful, and it’s one of the many reasons why Kawhi’s teams barely ever lose three in a row. He’s still the best perimeter defensive player since MJ/Glove, and the best clutch shooter since MJ. His BBIQ is easily the highest in the league in this era. He does all of the little things to position his teammates for the greatest probability of success in his endless quest to win like Larry Bird and Bill Russell before him. He just quietly outsmarts everyone and contributes more to wins than any other active player. Celtic Pride if ever I saw an example in a non-Celtic.

Klaw even has the best winning percentage in league history, ahead of Magic and Bird in 2nd and 3rd. It’s a question of whether he will end with 4, 5 or 6 rings when it’s all said and done. We would be incredibly lucky to have him paired with JT/Smart/Timelord, and would become a dynasty with Kawhi cementing his status as the second best player of the post-MJ period. Heck, I would take prime Kawhi over prime LeBron, too - go watch the 2014 NBA Finals again, Kawhi’s Mona Lisa shutdown of Prime LeBron age 29 when Kawhi was only 22!! And to bookend that, he did the unbelievable of bringing a professional sports title to a Canadian club, the first time that has happened in nearly three decades. On a one-year-rental, which never produced a ring before or since. Who knows what rings 3 and 4 will look like (dare I say 5 and 6?).

For the above reasons, I think Kawhi is a basketball genius and a basketball legend who does not get his due. If you agree, feel free to add to this Kawhi appreciation thread.

This hasn’t aged well.

To be fair, he did get back to peak form towards the end of the season and into the playoffs. Didn’t last long, though.  :-\
Quoting Nick from the now locked Ime thread:
Quote
At some point you have to blame the performance on the court on the players on the court. Every loss is not the coach's fault and every win isn't because of the players.