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How Kawhi Leonard compares to the Golden State Warriors greatest foes

By Tony Pesta

TORONTO, CANADA - NOVEMBER 29: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors plays defense against Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors on November 29, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - NOVEMBER 29: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors plays defense against Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors on November 29, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4. Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard’s position on this ranking could change by the end of the NBA Finals. In fact, it probably should change. The dynamic two-way superstar is playing the best basketball of his career and at only 27 years of age, he has plenty of more time to challenge the Golden State Warriors.

For now, we only have one series to base their matchup off of. To make matters worse, Kawhi didn’t even play an entire game before suffering a season-ending injury. However, in this very short span of time, we got to see a glimpse of the mayhem Kawhi could create against the Warriors

In the 2016 season, the Warriors captured every single headline when they broke the NBA regular season record for wins in a season with 73. What nobody noticed was that the San Antonio Spurs were close behind them with 67 wins of their own. By the next season, both teams were ready to compete at a high level.

With the addition of Kevin Durant to the Warriors roster, the 2017 Western Conference Finals felt like it should be a breeze for Golden State. Playing on their home floor in Game 1, the Dubs were smacked in the mouth when Kawhi took charge and led San Antonio to a 23 point lead.

Of course, we all know what happened next. ZaZa Pachulia closed out on a shot from Leonard and slid his foot underneath him as he landed. This injury would rule Kawhi out for the series as the Dubs went on to mount a comeback and sweep the series.

This NBA Finals will prove if Game 1 of that series was a fluke or not. If Kawhi stays healthy, expect him to move up this list.

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