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Yesterday, I wrote about how dominant Kevin Durant has been in the NBA playoffs, which has really just been a continuation of his regular season. Knicks fans everywhere are salivating over the possibility of Durant coming to New York and bringing Kyrie Irving with him. As great of a combination Irving and Durant would be, Durant and Kawhi Leonard would be better. If we are going to dream, let’s dream correctly.
If you consider rumors and conjecture, it appears at this early juncture that Irving is a far more realistic target than Leonard for the Knicks, with the latter rumored to be bound for the West Coast. Unlike Durant, however, there seems to be far less certainty about what Leonard is going to do this summer and even what his priorities are when he chooses his free agent destination. If you haven’t noticed, he doesn’t say much.
If Durant does come to New York on the condition he can pick his teammate, the Knicks will also be tied to that. If he wants to play with Irving, and the latter decides to leave Boston (which is no sure thing, especially if they get to the NBA Finals), then he will be here and Knicks fans should be thrilled about it. But if the Knicks are put in the enviable situation where they can help choose Durant’s running mate, Leonard should be the choice.
In terms of fit, Irving with Durant seems more natural. Irving is a point guard that can get the ball to the scoring wing, and create his shot and those for others with his unstoppable penetration game. Both players want the ball, but with no other ball dominant players on the court, it shouldn’t be hard to make sure both guys get enough touches to keep them productive and happy.
On the surface, it appears that Leonard and Durant are both natural small forwards, but in the modern NBA either one can play power forward without the team losing much of anything except perhaps on the defensive glass. Their styles shouldn’t preclude them from playing off each other or from being complementary of each other on the court.
USA TODAY Images With Leonard and Durant theoretically taking up the two forward spots, Kevin Knox would be sent to the bench, which might not be a bad thing given his steep development curb. He could also be used in a potential trade for a point guard, or another player that would fit well in the starting lineup next to Durant, Leonard and Mitchell Robinson.
So, why Leonard instead of Irving? There are three reasons and only one is directly basketball related. Irving might be the best one-on-one scorer in basketball and is probably a slightly better offensive player than Leonard, even if the statistics don’t say that. Leonard’s defense, however, is still at a first-team All-Defense level, while Irving is not in that stratosphere. The Raptors have looked lost on the court on both ends when Leonard hasn’t played this postseason. He is the best two-way star in the NBA and it isn’t that close.
The second reason is strictly health. Even though Leonard had his strange quad-issue last year that kept him out of game action for the Spurs, he has been a more consistently healthy player than Kyrie Irving. Spare the year where he helped LeBron James lead the Cavs to a championship, Irving’s playoffs have often been cut short by recurring knee injuries that would make any suitor nervous. Both players are 27 and should still be stars by the end of their next contract, but chronic knee problems, for a player that relies on his quickness like Irving does, are a bigger red flag than Leonard’s past quad issues.
Finally, Irving is a little mercurial. He speaks his mind too much. Whether it’s the flat earth nonsense, which he has since walked back, or his constant calling out of teammates early in Boston’s season this year, he can be a polarizing lightning rod. For an organization that desperately needs normalcy and less drama, Leonard’s near silent persona would be perfect in New York. His own drama with the Spurs last season is a red flag too, but other than that, Leonard has been much less of a spectacle over his career.
Kyrie Irving is a wonderful player and the best one-on-one shot creator in the NBA. The Knicks would be extremely lucky to have him as Durant’s running mate if they are able to land him if he does leave Boston. If he is the guy that Durant wants to play with, bring him on without much hesitation. But if Leonard is a possibility, he should be a priority over Irving.