Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

[Since86]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

Yeah, and the guy becomes the MVP of the finals. I'll stick to my take on them liking his potential to become this sort player more than they liked what Hill brought to the table. They are a team that has made the right decision time after time after time. This is another example of that.

In a perfect world, where teams don't have to worry about salary caps, your point would be rock solid. But too bad the NBA is a salary cap driven league, and the Spurs felt the need to cut salary. Had they had not felt that need, they might have never decided to make a trade in the first place.

[Kstat]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

He's already been "reigned in" considerably, whether anyone wants to admit that or not. The difference between Lance from a control-perspective between rookie-Lance and this-year-Lance is ginormous.

That isn't even remotely true.

His A/TO is actually worse this year than it was last year, and that isn't taking into account his antics on and off the floor. He constantly killed what little flow the offense had by breaking plays and doing his own thing.

Comparing his numbers to his first couple of years when he barely even saw the floor isn't saying much.

Lance is a secondary ballhandler, ideally a third or a safety valve. The less he handles the ball the better he will look because he's very good at doing the little things but he's terrible at being a lead guard.

[Kid Minneapolis]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

I don';t think Lance is the kind of player that you "reign in." He's a wild card, which is fine but you under no circumstances want him running your offense.

He's already been "reigned in" considerably, whether anyone wants to admit that or not. The difference between Lance from a control-perspective between rookie-Lance and this-year-Lance is ginormous.

[Tom White]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

Spurs liked a rookie contract Leonard better than a second contract Hill.

Gotta love how people just skip over the cap ramificiations for why SA wanted to move Hill in the first place.

Yeah, and the guy becomes the MVP of the finals. I'll stick to my take on them liking his potential to become this sort player more than they liked what Hill brought to the table. They are a team that has made the right decision time after time after time. This is another example of that.

[Kstat]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

I think it could work wonderfully, as long as Vogel reigns him in on the 1-on-1 ****, or at least teach him to pick-and-choose his spots more wisely and less often.

I don';t think Lance is the kind of player that you "reign in." He's a wild card, which is fine but you under no circumstances want him running your offense.

[Kid Minneapolis]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

I think the less Lance is asked to run the offense the better.

I think it could work wonderfully, as long as Vogel reigns him in on the 1-on-1 ****, or at least teach him to pick-and-choose his spots more wisely and less often. I also think that if Lance could improve his post-game, it could be a devastating development. He could collapse defenses or just take PGs to the hole.

[Kstat]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

I think the less Lance is asked to run the offense the better.

[Kid Minneapolis]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

Hill is a really good player... he's not showcased much at all here. His percentages are identical the past 3 seasons here, but his usage was way less this past year. The offense just seems to be going away from him, which I find really weird, because Hill is one of our better offensive players on this team. It's like Vogel has some big-time restrictor plates on him for whatever reason. When he's given a green light, he is a problem for defenses. We just don't use him enough.

This might sound crazy.... but I'd like to try swapping Hill and BornReady role-wise offensively (leave them as-is defensively). Let Stephenson handle the ball and create looks and focus on those dime numbers, and let Hill focus on just scoring. I think the only thing that has held back that idea is decision-making on Stephenson's part, but he's getting better at it. Hill, imo, is just built to score. He doesn't get enough credit in that department, he's always been used weirdly. I know he can get the offense into a set... but I'd love Vogel to just set him loose at the 2 spot offensively, tell him to be aggressive, get in the paint, hit some 3s. He's very effective at it when that's his focus.

[Kstat]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

You're off on a few points here.

During the 2010 series against DAL Hill averaged 12 ppg, but 20.2 ppg over the last 4. He then averaged 12 ppg against the Suns. He was taken out of the starting lineup after game 2 where he scored 14 points. He was the Spurs leading scorer in game 4 with 17 off the bench.

He would then play another season with SA where they were the number 1 seed and lost to MEM in 7 games. He started game 1, and came off the bench for the rest of the series, but was still solid in averaging 12 and 5 rebs.

Granted, I was off a year. But the Spurs also lost to Memphis in 6 games, not 7.

I was not wrong about his 2010 playoff performance, however.

He shot 50% from the arc and 50% overall against Dallas.

At the same time, he shot 37% and 23% against Phoenix and was god awful defensively. They put him in so many PnRs he collapsed.

[Kid Minneapolis]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

Would you remind us of the MASSIVE playoff games Hill had with San Antonio

Yea, read the previous responses. Hill basically rescued the Spurs in the 2010 playoffs against the Mavs, when the big 3 were struggling.. he avg'd like 23 pts in that series, just carried them. I wanna say he went even further bazooka in the series clincher.

[CreekShow]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

Put Kawhi on a team like Cleveland or somewhere else that'd he be a #2 option and this thread wouldnt exist

[immortality]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

Spurs liked a rookie contract Leonard better than a second contract Hill.

Gotta love how people just skip over the cap ramificiations for why SA wanted to move Hill in the first place.

Or you know Kwahi is surrounded by two great ball handlers and a am all time post player, so he never had any pressure. Ask Kwahi to become the number one option, next year I wonder what could happen

[Since86]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

I'll answer the original question with this - The Spurs certainly liked Leonard better than Hill.

Spurs liked a rookie contract Leonard better than a second contract Hill.

Gotta love how people just skip over the cap ramificiations for why SA wanted to move Hill in the first place.

[Ace E.Anderson]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

Would you remind us of the MASSIVE playoff games Hill had with San Antonio

Game 3 against DAL in 2010 - 17 and 5
Game 4 against DAL in 2010 - 29 and 4 - went 5 of 6 from 3
Game 6 against DAL in 2010 - 21 and 6
Game 6 against PHX in 2010 - 17 and 3
Game 1 against MEM in 2011 - 15, 7, 3, 4 steals
Game 2 against MEM in 2011 - 16, 5 and 4 with 2 steals

No he wasn't putting up superstar numbers, but these are similar strong/solid numbers to what Leonard had been putting up in the playoffs with the Spurs as well. So maybe not "massive" numbers, but very good numbers on a contending team for sure. Those are just his SA playoff numbers, he's had big games for the Pacers in the playoffs as well

[Ace E.Anderson]

Re: Would we be a better team right now if we would have kept K. Leonard?

Hill had a massive series against Dallas in the playoffs, and was so badly outplayed in the following round against the Suns that he got removed from the starting lineup halfway through and never played another game for the Spurs again.

You're off on a few points here.

During the 2010 series against DAL Hill averaged 12 ppg, but 20.2 ppg over the last 4. He then averaged 12 ppg against the Suns. He was taken out of the starting lineup after game 2 where he scored 14 points. He was the Spurs leading scorer in game 4 with 17 off the bench.

He would then play another season with SA where they were the number 1 seed and lost to MEM in 7 games. He started game 1, and came off the bench for the rest of the series, but was still solid in averaging 12 and 5 rebs.