here):
| Team | eFG% Rank | TOV% Rank | DRB% Rank | FT/FGA Rank | Team DRtg Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | 9 | 5 | 24 | 13 | 9 (103.7) |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 3 (101.6) |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 3 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 2 (100.3) |
| Indiana Pacers | 1 | 26 | 6 | 12 | 1 (99.8) |
Now more than ever teams are focusing on becoming elite defensively – it’s the recipe for a title. In the age of LeBron and Durant, kids are growing up wanting to be point-forwards and wing players. They're adapting their game more to Pippen than MJ. That position can make or break teams. Leonard is that prototype guy for the Spurs. Paul George is that guy for the Pacers. The Grizzlies didn’t have it in Rudy Gay so they traded him away. The top-two guys right now for the 2013-2014 draft are Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, college freshman who play that forward wing position.
Budding Offensive Star
We've seen Leonard as the defensive guru, and now we're going to watch him step up his game offensively as well. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been quoted this off-season talking about wanting Leonard to take more of an attacking role and become THE guy for the Spurs. We’ve already seen this in the preseason, as he has regularly taken defenders off the dribble for pull-up jumpers. Expect to see it a lot more starting next week.
In Kevin Durant’s first two NBA seasons, he posted nERD’s of -7.1 and 4.9 respectively before hitting double digits in his third season with a 12.5 nERD. Look for Leonard to quietly approach double digits this season and the Spurs to (as usual) tear through the regular season en route to a top playoff seed. He may not be as sexy as these other young guys, but he’s just as good.
As the Spurs transition out of the Tim Duncan era, enjoy watching as the Kawhi Leonard era begins.