Warriors: Kawhi Leonard Adds A Touch Of Deja Vu To NBA Finals
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- While the opponent will be different, there will something very familiar when the Golden State Warriors open play in the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.
For the first time since their run of five straight Finals began, the Warriors will not be facing off against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But there still will be a familiar face glaring back at them. A player who was the center of a great deal of controversy the last time he faced Golden State in a playoff game.
Call it a heavy dose of deja vu.
As he did in 2017, Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard -- who then was with the San Antonio Spurs -- comes into a playoff series with Golden State nursing a leg injury.
In Game One Western Conference finals with the San Antonio having been up by 25 points, Leonard sprained the ankle on his injured leg when Zaza Pachulia slid his foot under Kawhi's landing zone has he launched a 3-pointer.
The ensuing controversy led to the creation of the "Zaza Rule" and brought the debate of landing zones into the NBA. Ultimately it was injuries that led to Leonard departure from the Spurs.
Leonard has been a beast so far in the post-season. He is averaging 31 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists game while playing 38.7 minutes a playoff contest. In the Game 6 Eastern Conference Finals clincher, he scored a game-high 27 points and added a career high 17 rebounds.
The Warriors are well aware of the challenge they face.
"He's done what his team needed," said Golden State backup guard Shaun Livingston. "He's a great player...Looks like the trade worked out for them."
When asked to compare the 2019 playoff version of Leonard to his previous playoff games against the Warriors, Livingston replied: "You can tell he's put the work in his game. I think he's had the physical tools, that's what teams drafted him on, but I don't know anybody expected him to be this good...That's a credit to himself, putting the work in."
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr has not been surprised by Leonard's offensive onslaught in the playoffs.
"He was already pretty damn good, a Finals MVP in '14," Kerr said. "He had become a full fledged superstar five years ago...He's playing at an incredibly high level right now."
Steph Curry echoes his coach's sentiment.
"He's gifted physically with his strength and wingspan and foot speed," Curry said.