Kawhi Leonard set an exemplar of a model elite basketball player in his run with the Toronto Raptors during last season's playoffs, culminating in a six-game series win during the 2019 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. After watching the new-Clipper Leonard win the Finals MVP, this past regular season's MVP, the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, has reportedly “learned a lot” from the three-time All-Star.
Per Vincent Goodwill in Yahoo! Sports:
The Bucks’ franchise did a top-down evaluation of what went wrong. Series can often turn on a moment, and the reasons can range from the predictable to the unforeseen. Antetokounmpo looked across the court and saw what went right for the Raptors: Kawhi Leonard. He was amazed at Leonard’s control of the game, control of his body and grasp of the moment.
“I learned a lot from him,” Antetokounmpo said. “He knocked down free throws. He was calm. When double-teams came, he was swinging the ball but getting it right back. He was aggressive. He was calm but he was on a mission.”
After winning the Most Improved Player award for the 2016-17 NBA season, Antetokounmpo continued to up his game with a dominating performance last season. However, the “Greek Freak” and the Bucks fell short in the postseason, losing to the eventual-champ Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals in spite of an early-series 2-0 lead.
Giannis can model his game after Leonard, one of the true two-way forces in the NBA. Antetokounmpo shares an impressive wingspan with Leonard along with timely scoring but is missing a perimeter game that the small forward Leonard possesses.
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