San Antonio Spurs All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard is without question, one of the best players in the league. But while Leonard's excellence is quite evident now, before the 2011 NBA Draft, nobody could've predicted that he would be this good.
This doubt about his overall skill is one reason why Leonard fell to the No. 15 pick in the draft. It is also why several teams are now kicking themselves for not selecting Leonard when they had a chance.
One such team may be the Phoenix Suns, who had a strange reason for not picking Leonard.
From a 2015 Arizona Republic story (via NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk):
Yeah, about that Leonard pick in 2011. …
Leonard did not work out for the Suns, who were picking 13th. He was clearly a defensive standout but the San Diego State power forward needed to become an NBA small forward at 6 feet 7. His jump shot was suspect but his work ethic was not. His college coach, Steve Fisher, told NBA staff that Leonard would not be satisfied by money.
There seems like there would have been much to discuss about Leonard. A gaze at his 7-3 wingspan and hands as long as men’s size 7½ shoes would be an adequate prompt.
This is when it would be convenient to say the Suns did not pick Leonard because of an overabundance of rotation small forwards on the roster — Grant Hill, Jared Dudley and Josh Childress. …
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.
A silly decision by the Suns and one that they likely still regret to this day.
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