Kawhi Leonard has become one of the greatest non lottery draft selections in NBA history. At 25 years old, he already is a two time defensive player of the year, a Finals champion, and a Finals MVP. This year he turned it up a notch, something many people did not believe he could do.
One team that had the opportunity to nab the unbelievable talent was the Phoenix Suns. According to Paul Coro of the AZ Central, part of the reason Kawhi Leonard wasn’t considered was due to his nerves at the combine.
But with a front office conducting its first draft in Phoenix, then-General Manager Lance Blanks’ staff did not have Leonard in the discussion. Part of the Suns’ knock on Leonard, beyond his perimeter shot, was how nervously he acted in a draft combine interview, when he sweated through his suit.
Deciphering which player will be better than the others available is a tough task. GM’s look for any little aspect to pick a player. The Sun’s nitpick just happened to be towards the wrong guy. Hindsight is 20/20 and it is easy to bash the Suns brass for their misstep but man, would the league be different with Kawhi on the Suns.
