Kawhi Leonard may be the most universally praised player in NBA history. He barely ever speaks so he can’t really say anything that journalists can criticize, and he’s also a wonderful team player – a defensive-minded, efficient, team-oriented robot. As recently as last month, I felt that the media was praising Leonard too much. He was called underrated so often that he had become, dare I say, overrated.
The reason Kawhi has proven immune from criticism is that he just keeps improving. During his first three years in the league, Leonard emerged as a defensive specialist who could hit shots when called upon.