Kawhi Leonard was sensational for the Los Angeles Clippers as they closed out the Dallas Mavericks in a full seven-game series, and his stats show how ridiculous he was throughout. In fact, it has hints of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry all over it.
As noted by John Schumann of NBA.com, Kawhi has the second-highest effective field goal percentage for a player who averaged 30-plus points in a seven-game series. The list only includes postseasons in the past 55 years, but it doesn't erase the fact that Leonard's numbers are absurd given that he is not really known to be a scorer but more of a two-way player.
The Clippers forward only trails Curry in the said list, as the Warriors superstar recorded an effective field goal percentage of 69.9 during the 2017 Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Curry and the Dubs went on to win the title that season.
So that was a pretty special series from Kawhi Leonard – 2nd highest eFG% for a player averaging 30+ ppg in a playoff series in the last 55 years. pic.twitter.com/k6thVpJSO7
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) June 7, 2021
It remains to be seen if Kawhi Leonard can also replicate the same feat as Stephen Curry and lead the Clippers to the promised land. However, LA and its fans have to feel positive with the way the 29-year-old is playing.
After the Clippers' epic failure last season–one that saw them give up a 3-1 lead in the West semifinals–it sure looks like Kawhi Leonard has become even better and improved his mental resilience. It's still a long way to go before the team gets to the Larry O'Brien trophy, but there is reason to believe the last remaining LA team can keep the silverware in La La land.
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