San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard will be one of the more hotly discussed players of the NBA offseason. Future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade sees San Antonio moving Leonard and thinks that the two-time All-Star will end up with the Boston Celtics.
Kawhi Leonard on the move to the #Celtics?! That's what @DwyaneWade told @Schultz_Report pic.twitter.com/jSZQgFwPWW
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) April 11, 2018
From an on-court point of view, we can certainly see why Boston would be a desirable destination. The Celtics are already one of the best teams in the NBA and figure to be even better in the coming seasons. Going from one perennial contender at the end of its run to another at the beginning is certainly appealing.
But it’s some of the reasoning that’s hard to understand.
Wade cited Leonard’s apparent problems with San Antonio. So, it makes sense that he’d want to leave. But part of the reason for the discontent — at least of the discussed reasons — is that the Spurs want Leonard to be more vocal and outgoing, which doesn’t fit his more shy personality.
If that’s the case, the Spurs seem like an ideal team for Leonard. For years, Tim Duncan was an underrated player. That was due in no small part to the fact that he was just didn’t have a big, outgoing personality. It worked in a market like San Antonio.
But it’s a lot harder to blend in, playing in Boston. Not only is Beantown a big, sports-crazed city, but its coverage is massive. If anything, we could call a number of Boston athletes over the years overrated, primarily because of the attention they got from their home town.
Leonard may have issues with the Spurs. But if his issues are that the team thinks that he should be more vocal and outgoing, they’re not going to be cured with the Celtics.