Leonard earning his spurs
After going up against Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in practice a week ago, taking it to Christian Eyenga must have felt like a mismatch for Kawhi Leonard.
It was.
The San Antonio Spurs second-year small forward is toying with the competition at the NBA Summer League after butting heads with Team USA last week at the Mendenhall Center as a member of the Select squad.
The former San Diego State star has averaged 25 points in two games for the undefeated Spurs, who kept the Los Angeles Lakers winless at 0-4 with a 92-81 win Tuesday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“It did a lot for my confidence,” Leonard said of playing with the Select team. “Going against those guys every day, you see the way they work. They never take a play off. They’re going hard all the time, and that’s what I’m trying to do (with San Antonio).”
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo had his eye on Leonard during his stellar rookie season with the Spurs that saw him average 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds while making first-team all-rookie.
When Colangelo was putting together the Select team roster, he wanted someone with Leonard’s skill and athleticism to push Bryant, James, Kevin Durant and the other projected Olympians.
“He’s got such a bright future, and we want to get him involved now with what we’re doing,” Colangelo said last week. “He’s someone we need to keep an eye on moving forward beyond London.”
Leonard said he was honored to have such an opportunity. He just turned 21 last month and admits he’s still learning how the game is played at the NBA level. It’s why he put in time during the lockout last fall and after the season with Joe Abunassar at Impact Basketball on East Sunset Road in an attempt to stay ahead of the learning curve.
“Those workouts were important,” Leonard said. “I’m trying to be more consistent with my jump shot, be a better ball-handler, get better with my footwork, basically everything. Working with Joe helped get me ready for last season, and it also got me ready for the Select team.”
Leonard has spent so much time in Las Vegas the past year he could be made an honorary Rebel. But after helping San Diego State make life miserable for UNLV fans while he helped lead the Aztecs to the Sweet 16 in 2011, Leonard said he’ll pass on that notion.
“I’ve got some great memories of playing in this building,” he said of the Mack. “We used the Mountain West Tournament as a start to get to the Sweet 16 that year, and we had great battles (with UNLV).”
Leonard is well on his way to creating a new set of special memories. He said earning the respect from James and Bryant for his hard work and play with the Select team has given him hope that one day he’ll be in their position.
“I would love to get that opportunity,” he said. “But my focus right now is here and trying to keep getting better.”
He’s using his explosive first step to beat defenders and getting out on the fast break early while also showing a soft shooting touch. His range has improved considerably from his college days, and he’s trying to take good shots. His 27-point effort against the Lakers on Tuesday saw him shoot 50 percent from the floor (9 of 18) and 2 of 5 on 3-point attempts while going 7 of 9 from the foul line.
His only setback? A sore left wrist after hitting the floor late in Tuesday’s game.
“I’m fine,” said Leonard, who plans to play in San Antonio’s final three summer league games, beginning at 7 p.m. today against the Los Angeles Clippers. “I just want to stay aggressive and keep improving.”
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
