Early in his career, Kawhi Leonard was known for his lockdown defense. However, he has evolved into a lethal scoring threat as well. Whether playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, or Los Angeles Clippers, Leonard has become the go-to guy when buckets are needed, averaging a solid 24.4 points and 3.7 assists per game on 49.9% shooting from the field since he took on more of the scoring load in 2016.
Furthermore, Leonard has shown a knack for stepping up when it matters most, delivering impressive scoring performances on the biggest of nights, particularly in the NBA playoffs. A prime example is his 2019 series against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he averaged 34.7 points per game on a scorching hot 53.0% shooting from the field.
The eye test and stats speak for themselves when it comes to Leonard’s offensive skills. However, despite his impressive resume on that front, the Boston Celtics legend isn’t favoring Leonard over Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, suggesting that the two-time NBA isn’t as good as Tatum on offense.
“Kawhi is not the offensive player Jayson is.”
Paul Pierce doesn’t think Kawhi Leonard is as skilled as Jayson Tatum
“Kawhi is not the offensive player Jayson is”
( @allthesmokeprod / h/t @TheWestbrookEra )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 19, 2024
