Raptors' Kawhi Leonard switches to another gear for playoffs

OAKLAND, Calif. – There was a moment, not long before the postseason started, when Toronto coach Nick Nurse learned all that he really needed to know about Kawhi Leonard and what makes the man of few words tick.

The conversation was about the 82-game regular season.

Leonard shrugged and described those games as "just practice."

"That's when I knew," Nurse said, "that this guy has another gear that he was going to get to."

Everyone knows that now — or at least, everyone should be reminded of that now. Leonard was the NBA Finals MVP in 2014 and looks very much like the soon-to-be NBA Finals MVP in 2019. He is at the top of his game and has shown that not only is he over the leg ailment that cost him basically all of last season but that he might just be better than ever.

They call Leonard "the King of the North" in Toronto now, and on Monday night that title might expand to cover the entire NBA as well. Leonard is on the cusp of a second championship and possibly ending a second era. The Raptors lead the Golden State Warriors 3-1 in the NBA Finals and Toronto plays host to a potentially championship-clinching Game 5 on Monday night.

"It's not over yet," Leonard said.

Leonard is averaging 30.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in the finals. For the entire playoffs, the averages are 31.1 points and 9.1 rebounds. The elite club for NBA shooters is the one dubbed "50-40-90" — 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, 90% from the foul line. Leonard is at 49.8% shooting, 39% on threes and 89% from the line in the postseason, with every team's plan geared to stop him.

"I don't think you're ever going to rattle Kawhi," conceded Golden State's Draymond Green.

There's no shame in that. The Warriors have some defenders of exceptional pedigree. Green is a former defensive player of the year. Klay Thompson was an all-defensive team player this year. Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut have earned their way onto that team in previous seasons.

Separately, together, it doesn't matter. The Warriors haven't had an answer for Leonard.

"He's just been phenomenal," Nurse said. "The energy that he brought on the defensive end translated to his offensive game. To me, talking about 'where does he rank' and blah blah blah, he's like the best team player. He might not be the best player in the NBA — he's in the conversation of some sort of top five or top three or whatever you want to have — but he's the best team player."