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Can the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic defend Kawhi Leonard? This detailed film breakdown & scouting report details how Leonard has scored so well in this 2025 NBA playoff series, including his 39 points in Game 2, and how David Adelman and the Nuggets are trying to so many different defensive coverages and tactics to stop him and the Clippers.
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45 Comments
6:45 Ben hit his scoring quota for the game
I really love this video! It is true: the Nuggets played a really good defense, very intelligent. But Leonard is an enormous player, and so is Harden. Sometimes I miss Leonard passing a little more: usually when he takes the ball you know what he is going to do. But then it is Harden to do the rest, so it is a good complement. Anyway: it is a pity that this is playoffs: it is truly an extraordinary series!
"who is in charge here?" everyone is unison "THE CLAWWWWWWWWWW"
Please let us witness one more legendary Kawhi playoff run, like with the Raptors in 2019. Basketball gods please let him stay healthy all the way
No, because Kawhi Leonard is going crazy!!! 🔥
Jokic played great defence btw, for all haters
Just don't jinx Kawhi, he suffered enough…
Healthy and in form Kawhii is still the most "inevitable" player I have ever seen. Dude just gets to his spot and shoots his shot, nothing fancy, nothing interesting, but you just get that feeling of hopelesness where you can just hope he misses his shot. Kind of like KD but it always seemed you could bother KD more and that he got into his shots in more different ways. Kawhii feels like prime Houston harden but from short midrange instead of 3 and without the antics.
It's a healthy Kawhi. I mean other than the 2020 bubble, a healthy Kawhi is always reliable. He' clutch, efficient, difference maker, has good fundamentals, plays great defense, good play making, etc.
It's not like Denver guys are screwing up on defense. Let's see if he continues to play like this in the series.
Yeah we’ve thrown every single coverage there is to stop him and he just makes a shot every time. A robot for sure, mf is not human
My opinion kawhi at prime is second only to mj
why couldnt the clips just run it thro harden?
They can't stop him, but they can beat him
So beautiful to watch
It's one of those games when a player gets HOT and nothing can stop them. Kawhi is a superstar on his day, but no way he's dropping 40 on 80% and 57% from downtown every day. I think, we're yet to see a Murray showtime. I think, Nuggets will win 4-2/4-3.
Kawhi and Jokic on the same team would be funny, must be lots of awkward silences
Kawhi has gotta be the least flashy scorer of all time, every shot just looks like an algorithm executing.
Kawhi doesnt want to raise a championship banner in staples center. He wants to do it in the clipper's own arena.
I mean they did a pretty good job of it in game 1? Recency bias lol
People complain about Kawhi resting. But if he does this in the Playoffs, it’s obviously worth it. He had enough time to get into form. The problem may be how he holds up. Wearing Kawhi down should be a priority of any opposing team. Make him work really hard and see if his injuries start limiting him.
Prime healthy Kawhi is a top 10 two–way player of all time.
The only I would take over him as a prime 2 way player: Wilt, Kareem, Hakeem, Duncan, Jordan, LeBron
The maybes are: Garnett, D Robinson, Giannis
They definitely don't have an answer for Kawhi but they dont need to stop him. The Clippers have very little depth. As long as they somewhat limit Harden and stop everyone else, the Nuggets will probably win this in 7.
Pretty good analysis…
Been waiting on this video since the game 😅
Can we stop calling one of my favorite players a robot yet he is indeed a human being and you need to show him due respect
you can call ben simmons whatever you want idc but give my guy kawhi his fucking honor
the laugh isnt even that fucking weird and all i ever hear about kawhi is robot ahehehe
I hope this is the uear the Clippers do something. Make the finals at least
is he the best player in the league when fullly healthy?
Software update is completed.
Ive seen Kawhis software freeze too many times since he came to LA… game 1 second half is an example, he was a net negative, didnt even try really. So it will take a deep playoff run to convince me hes really back. Im not even thinking about injury
When i watch kawhi. I see him do any and everything to win the game. Just like bron but in different ways. Kd is certainly the better scorer but he has nothing else over kawhi. And in terms of scoring, kawhi is not far off from kd. Kawhi>kd
Kawhi wing span like 7’1 can shoot everyone
6:44 – WTF!!! Is this the same man who played for Philly from Australia????????
If Kawhi was an iron man he might have been a top-10 player ever.
can you just say jokic normally man the way you say it is beyond obnoxious. i dont hear you doing this with any other player either
Short answer: Hell no! Long answer: This Kawhi is a top 5-7 player in the league maybe higher
reminds me of raptors kawhi
Yeah the Nuggets were forcing Kawhi to have to take tough shots. The problem was he just enabled aimbot assist and refused to miss lol. I think he was 11/12 from 2 pt range or something ridiculous like that haha
Leathal Kawhinator
Who put Jamal on Kawhi🫢🤔🫣
Made a reddit post last year (with PG lol) asking if Kawhi won mvp, chip, and FMVP with the clips if he'd be close to top 10 all time conversations.
People clowned on it (some good reasons for sure, he doesn't have the longevity/other accolades even if this does happen) but man if he was healthy his full career, we'd probably talk about him similarly to KD.
Coming from the Spurs system you would think Kawhi would be at least above average at playmaking but he hasn't improved in that area at all.
This is what new kids don't get about JOrdan. That mid range game beats up your defence and tires you out when you have a reliable
mid range opponent like Kawhi, Jordan, Kobe, Dr. J, Lebron
That movie Troy, where Brad Pitt was the greatest warrior on the planet, spent most of the movie bored on the bench, then got motivated when his cousin, pretending to be him and died in battle, so he he does the warrior thing again, only to be taken out by some whimp who hurt his achilles. That's Leonard
02:32 the fact that offense can lower their shoulder into the defense is so stupid