Kawhi Leonard - Lockdown

This video was really fun to make, and I always planned on making it but as I suspected, there was just too much. I decided that his playoff defense merited a video by itself, so these are just a few highlights of his from the regular season.
Kawhi Leonard is an absolute nightmare. He is your shadow. Sticking to you. Following your every move. He is everywhere you are and somehow in the spots you want to get to. He can do everything on defense.
I don’t like throwing out comparisons, especially to those Bulls teams, but he really does remind me of Scottie Pippen (and even Pops has said as such). He’s consulted with Scottie on how to be the stopper, and whatever he learned that day has made life impossible for the game’s greats ever since. He hounds ball handlers. He denies his man the ball. He will take the ball away before you even realize he’s around. He’s a predator. His length, strength, and smarts will get him into a position to earn the basketball virtually every time down the floor.
The Claw, the Kingslayer, the next Scottie Pippen, call him what you will but eventually you’ll be calling him the Defensive Player of the Year. I don’t know if it will be this season, but it is going happen. Just like when he’s after the basketball, it doesn’t matter who is in front of him, he will not be denied.
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[@xFiizZy]

The LOCKness monster

[@Aoi_Haru763]

+Ryan Trollin The brother is Harden, the LOCKless monster.

[@ThEgAnStAbOy]

He makes defense look fun haha i could watch an hour long video of him defending

[@jrodjc729]

True but it seems so tiring, being able to do that though every play and people say he shouldn't have been DPOY? Foh, its not all about steals and blocks to me. He's hard to get by, he shut down Lebron in the finals! He deserves it, Spurs will be back and better this coming season. Aldridge will be a great compliment to Timmy.

[@christopherrecinos2988]

+P2P 6God His defense is extremely tiring. Most players would only be able to do it for maybe a quarter and then be completely out of stamina

[@MrIcecubeboy]

+cole128 he played nice against Lebron, but 28 points on 57% isnt shutting down.

[@RonnieHouseJr]

+Kawhi Duncan right,?

[@alltun1562]

TheClawLBJ 23 z

[@happilyevanafter]

I could watch his defensive highlights all day. his defense is more fun to watch than most teams offenses. lol

[@marziantulabot5512]

This guy is a bounty hunter. Hunting all All-Star Assassins out there.

[@TheRealMc101]

Pure joy to watch...

[@RonnieHouseJr]

+TheRealMc101 yes indeed...

[@TripThreez]

Kawhi "Fuck Yo' Offense" Leonard

[@iamelinunn5154]

TripThreez yes

[@kaykaykillaful]

You can't play around with the basketball when Kawhi is guarding you!!!

[@iamelinunn5154]

K Lew yes boo

[@KingNez89]

Defense wins championships! I love being able to conpletly lock a guy down and make it hard for him to shoot or dribble

[@jakewalker7393]

illusive_nezzy88 the best feeling 🥳

[@devincatbagan3034]

4:33 is the flashiest play I've ever seen Kawhi make. I have a lot of respect for him for being an absolute beast while also staying humble.

[@Boss-ec4if]

if u put michael jordan and scottie pippen together, u get kawhi leonard.

[@captainpetrson5812]

Boss nah,more like Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler

[@glovs4188]

MJ midgame kawhi is not on MJ level though. And pippen and MJ defense. I think kawhi is better though and he dont even handcheck.

[@ANGELOFDARKification]

Insane that this comment was made before Kawhi was even considered an offensive player like he is now. The season at the Raptors really showed how much he worked on his handles and shots to be a great scorer.

[@Sam-ky3su]

Pippen's arms + MJ's hands = unstoppable

[@resurrectedpa]

Clyde and Scottie

[@tpstrat14]

3:20 long arms big hands and an even bigger heart. Love watching this dude play the game the way it's supposed to be played.

[@Archus88]

This guy belongs in the 90's

[@charlesmassiatte3195]

Word

[@arjayjames7384]

Archus88 He would be monster in the 90's though

[@mmldtop6005]

With handchech? Kawhi would be a Terminator in the 90s

[@MrSJB-ue1sd]

He would strip those non-skilled ball handlers in the 90's remember he was locking skilled pg/shooting guards of this era LMAO 😆

[@glovs4188]

Mygod. He chases his man like a bear that just awaken from hibernation.

[@dorsal-qb5fr]

When you barely have to bend your knees and your hands can still touch the ground, you're gonna get a lot of steals.

[@miketime4290]

sounds like lebron fan

[@miketime4290]

sounds like a lebron fan

[@dorsal-qb5fr]

+mike time Look out below!

[@dietsch4633]

Oh and lebron just never uses his body or speed to get close to the rim? Without that body he's nothing

[@peanutbutterchocolatecake6182]

without kawhi's arms and hands he's nothing

[@J2KProductions]

Reminds me so much of Jordan on the defensive end, he's honestly a combination of Pippen and Jordan on defense. The way he stays in front of his opponents and blocks shots is reminiscent of Jordan, and the way he uses his wingspan to pick his opponents pocket is reminiscent of Pippen. My favourite player in the league.

[@reyzamiskhalamsar9621]

there's only one word for him, AMAZING!!

[@10KintheBag]

mvp someday

[@benwallace5364]

never

[@10KintheBag]

yes easily

[@bigshox2355]

Patrick Robertson sike

[@benwallace5364]

Charles Shockley hopefully never

[@bigshox2355]

Patrick Robertson umm he deserves it

[@guancho890]

4 traes later he is a two times champ and finals MVP

[@tntcrewEJ]

This is how highlights are supposed to be!

[@ThaDreamMerchant]

Kawhi picked Curry clean at 0:58. One of my favorite players in the league to watch.

[@russlife3259]

amazing defender but harden was robbed on DPOY

[@loganbright6620]

I agree

[@captainpetrson5812]

Rayleigh king lmfaoo

[@rebelpoxy]

Sarcasm game too stronk

[@majestyarchives16]

Yung Draco yo name is yung Draco keep yo L

[@JuniusR]

Lol W

[@gregs3173]

This is a good compilation. I had no idea Leonard was such a good defender.

[@RonnieHouseJr]

+Greg S (SocalAdventures) oh yea man, he's guud!!!

[@AAA-yh7zh]

this is greatness. this whole video I was saying to my self "who blocks those?" and "I've never seen that in my life."

[@jesus.kraist]

Defensive Legend.

[@GugaGDFABC]

I had Draymond Green as my DPOY, but Kawhi is also a pest on the defensive end, he gave LeBron some nightmares during the Finals last year. Well deserved!

[@EvinGualberto]

***** I totally feel you. I had Draymond as my DPOY too, but that doesn't mean Kawhi is less deserving. The fact that Draymond got more 1st places votes is pretty telling. I think that 42 people leaving Dray off their defensive ballots entirely is also incredibly telling. The people in the know knew to vote him DPOY, the people who aren't in the know, didn't vote for him at all. For the record, Kawhi was left off of 26 ballots entirely also. I think if there were people that left both of these guys off their lists, they should have their votes rescinded and their ballots taken away.

[@ashleyhuggins433]

***** It's not just Lebron, he gave Kevin Durant some nightmares too!!!

[@ThaDreamMerchant]

Ashley Huggins That's why Durant was salty after Kawhi got his Finals MVP. He got locked up by the Klaw earlier in the playoffs

[@alphaslick2021]

Tony allen was a candidate am i right?

[@ThaDreamMerchant]

6 GodCurry I believe so.

[@Artghostwriter]

The Klaw a beast! #GoSpursGo

[@karu6111]

such a joy to watch

[@jialinli942]

I really enjoy his defensive style. I mean style, it reminds me of Michael Jordan

[@larrydalobster3548]

very picky literally their so good at perimeter shot blocking and on-ball steals

[@WhoAreYou905]

But better

[@sirm.a.r.s4640]

Yea Jordan was defending some garbage compared to kawhi. They not the same bro

[@i.g.s4745]

This guy is gold!

[@CauseHarm]

i love this video!!!! ive watched it so many times lol

[@paulmosman6468]

After watching so many offensive videos, then d videos are such a fresh breath. Nothing better then playing great D and getting out in transition.

[@duduman6392]

He makes it look so smooth

[@prospect4954]

This Kid is a absolute blessing on the court I'm truly proud to say he's now a top three in my book of small forwards of course #1Kevin Durant #2carmelo Anthony #3 Kawhi Leonard dude is a absolute beast

[@xotillioverdose]

Amazing! Thank you for this! Truly does remind me of the Bulls Scottie pippen! You forgot arguably his greatest defensive move, the series saving block/strip while going vertical using his right hand on a Russell Westbrook in the dying moments of Game 6 NBA WCF 2014.

[@EvinGualberto]

xotillioverdose I didn't actually. The description reads that these are all regular season defensive plays, so when I finish the Kawhi playoff defense video, you'll most definitely see that one there. It's a can't miss play.

[@naothi]

Evin Gualberto Oh my goodness.. That strip on Westbrook was one of the best plays from the 2014 Playoffs. The timing and the precision knowing that a slight touch on the hand means Russ getting a chance for an And1.

[@whetherMANE]

Leonard defense seems to reflect on how quiet he is, he never let's anybody break his concentration. when you have focus like he does the games slow down mentally. sorta like the matrix, which makes it easy to lock down passing lanes and strip the ball of the bounce. he's already lengthy which is a plus

[@darrienlight5244]

nice video all we need as fans is to vote him as an all star he's one of the best peremeter defensive player will see what he can do with some rest now and no injury problems also maybe a few weapons can help like Aldridge west Simmons and its not just him having rest the whole roster

[@andyshin7291]

He's probably the best perimeter defenders of all time. With hand-checking not allowed and 3-point shots so wildly used to spread floor in today's game, no one can lock down their matchup like Kawhi. Scottie was great, but he played in an era where you can be extra physical to the perimeter players. Today's game, not so much. The so called "soft" nba today favors floor spacing and offense, but it shows just how great Kawhi's defense is.

[@arturoswissknife1989]

Andy Shin Thanks!! Where do you rank an Andre Roberson ?

[@tramaineholloway8054]

Best defensive player in our generation 👐🏽🔒

[@davidzavala757]

kawhis defense is on a new level

[@mackie4323]

why does it feels like people are afraid to drive when Kawhi is guarding them?

[@jay3253]

Hall of fame intimidator badge

[@maxdurk4624]

This was one of the most fun NBA I have followed, and one of the fun parts was Kawhi returning from injury in like March and immediately looking like Scottie Pippen on defense. He really established himself as a top 10 player and true start this year.

[@kevinso187]

Good job on the vid brotha. Subscribed

[@FranKilinski]

Great video man. Well done

[@ToBe0rNotToBe1]

Sidenote, crowds and fans love watching the ball handling of Kyrie, Shooting of the splash bros, the athleticism that is the freight train Lebron and Westbrook and the silkiness of Harden but give me Kawhis defense over that any day.

[@Archiemxx1]

came from watching James Harden defense

[@ljc4835]

does such a video even exist?

[@GOTIFILMS]

+LJC lol

[@derrickmcterry6898]

This is why kawhi is my favorite

[@MrA8m]

seems like hes playing against little kids lol

[@iamelinunn5154]

Amel Mekic yes

[@George-gg4pb]

Jo mama

[@mildchaos6037]

Im here even as a Rockets fan because even though i hate the Spurs, i respect their franchises success and personally i hate that Kawhi is the first Spurs player i genuinely like. Glad to see him putting great defense on the map.

[@seethao9213]

All of the dislikes from this video is from the Offense Players.

[@lgnd4059]

this is beautiful

[@bourgoziejones6108]

Forgot to add the clip of Kawhi blanketing Wade in the finals last year ... Then stripping him

[@ThaDreamMerchant]

Anthony Peart OP said he left some plays off, so I'm sure he knows about what KL did to Wade.

[@iamelinunn5154]

Anthony Peart ikr lockdown

[@kjeezy2990]

Welcome to Toronto my guy 👌🏽💯

[@willikurniawan158]

The crazy thing about the klaw is his defensive IQ is off the chart. He can cut the passing lane,read opponent's move,steal,block and lockdown. Nowadays he is becoming a great scorer. No wonder MJ call him the best 2 way player in the league right now

[@stsensei312]

Beautiful

[@markobartula6358]

This is 5 years ago and now he is not threat just in defence.Best player in the league rn.

[@perseverance5284]

Leonard the Lockdown . . . I like that

[@ivangaza1164]

kawhi's emperors eye

[@joseCalderon1976]

Leonard= Absolute defensive terror!

[@ACEKING26]

Timing is everything man

[@hereisyourmusic30]

Love the way he steals the ball lol.

[@TheGrandSlayer]

Favorite player! Go Spurs go!

[@keldeguzman5270]

i first thought the claw was a lame nickname now it fits him so perfectly

[@jerzylpiccio2642]

I still feel like "The Taxman" or "The Assassin" suits him better.

[@drek100sm]

I want an hour of this

[@ThaDreamMerchant]

Derek Mcfly I want ten hours of this.

[@EdmondLau2007]

To me, he's the most feared perimeter defender since Scottie Pippen. The way he manages to strip the ball, play the passing lanes, block shots and beat the offensive player to the spot is very similar to Pippen.

[@muztagata3572]

actually watching this can help me in defence in 2k mycareer

[@andrewf0784]

Relentless

[@GRIDSALEENS7]

That steal on CP3 when the Clippers are down 3 hurt me so much. I mean usually when Cp is isolated on anyone you would take that but Kawhi just ate him up on that possession.

[@AP-lj5qe]

One thing about his greatest defense in the league is he is so great on on-ball defense and off-ball defense. he has long arm, and very mature mentality. the most important things is he seldom asks others to cover his man. LBJ, melo, KD are all asking their teammate to cover, this might be efficient, but definitely not what the coach asked. in defensive set standpoint, they used their superstar power to do less on defense. Kawhi would not do that, he follows coach pop orders defensively and play perfect TEAM defense all season long. he has the spirit of all time DPOY players like MJ, Bill russell, Kobe, Payton, pippen. These players seldom ask their teammates to cover their ass because of laziness. People who are saying LBJ is all time best, please tell him to put more effort on defense first.

[@gorgeh3819]

GOAT

[@Jan_ne]

MVP

[@iamtorortiguerra7013]

im laughing wacthing this he is too good wtf haha

[@eureka0521]

me too it's funny because you dont see his type of steals in nba often. dude straight snatches the ball away from them like they're children.

[@Observerw]

Notice how the spurs are almost always winning in every one of these games such a dominant franchise 🐐🐐🐐

[@puunjabirockstar]

damn imagineanthony davis, kawhi leonard and tony allen on the same team

[@ThaDreamMerchant]

lalygill I have them on the same team in 2K (dat trade override doe). Had the #1 defense in the entire league by a wide margin

[@puunjabirockstar]

damn ima try that tonight lol

[@ThaDreamMerchant]

lalygill LOL it's well worth it, trust me.

[@Jambuc829]

OMG they could score 89 points and win by 20 LMAO!!!!!!

[@filebucket]

lalygill Anthony Davis could go to San Antonio if he is willing to drink the koolaid to the Popovich system of unselfish basketball. It could work. It would make the spurs a threat for another 20 years..

[@PhoenixSunsNZ]

It's interesting how he defends. Some guys will play really tight on ball defense and deny the attacker any chance of getting closer to the hoop. Leonard is quite different, he doesn't mind allowing the attacker to get closer, but he just back pedals and prefers to wait for the attacker to shot the ball and force him to take a tough shot or block him at the hoop.

[@barmeloxanthony4539]

PhoenixSuns NZ its that wing span. He knows he can recover so he baits them into it alot he takes alot of chances but hardly ever gets caught lol

[@ShotDead247]

Secretary of Defense

[@Tgcjay12]

Yo u the goat for having these clips I was wondering could i use them??

[@EvinGualberto]

Jay NBA yeah, please go for it!

[@WestsideWillie]

Great defenders in the NBA is like lyrical rappers in the music industry today

[@ToBe0rNotToBe1]

Westbrook PG, Jimmy SG, Kawhi SF. Not as much offense as their respective teams now but as a trio, they would rival the 90's Bulls trio as far as defensive juggernauts.

[@krunalpanchal6852]

Most of his plays he played great d with his off hand!

[@donariusjames3568]

straight clamps

[@turtuvshinikhbayr6834]

wooooow

[@jermaineonealnumber7]

turtuvshin ikhbayr Na, nah, KaWhoooow!

[@jaydenburness735]

A two way star ⭐️

[@tyrellcruz4993]

lmaoo bledsoe looked terrified

[@imperialscout5566]

I enjoying watching good defense more than offense

[@ohyeahyeah4213]

The first time i played basketball in hs my friends said i played like kawhi lol i didnt even know about kawhi or alot about players in the nba till now.

[@raskolnikofrodion3211]

Kawhi is Diamantidis of NBA...........

[@MrChrisswaggin]

Kawhi leonard be spamming the square button

[@zwei91]

man can play

[@abbaslegend9214]

The last one tho!!!

[@jdthakid2]

defensive wizard

[@stilichoaurelian4]

This is like me when I play 2k on rookie, just spam X every time. Kawhi is like tony Allen but can score really well

[@shadowstep583]

You know i know people arent going to agree with me but if he gets his offense downpack he will be the next Mike J right now if he stays at this level hes just scottie pipen but if he keeps adding like how he did this year coming in he will take our league by storm . AGE AS OF TODAY 23 YEARS OLD. im done

[@laurittagazaryan9565]

shadowstep583 lol Kawhi Leonard is not the next MJ. He is the first Kawhi Leonard

[@jermaineonealnumber7]

Brian Scalabrine Yeah, but I like the Scottie comparisons, his hands are definitely MJ-like.

[@laurittagazaryan9565]

jermaineonealnumber7 yea and he's guarding better players than MJ ever had to guard. Today's game is a guard league unlike when MJ played.. He went up against craig ehlo's on a daily basis lol while kawhai has to guard cp3, conley, harden, kobe, lebron, kevin durant, steph curry etc..

[@papi7260]

Great prediction. He did indeed improve his offense and is the closest we have to MJ today.

[@sergelenp]

Wow now he is DPOY again!!!!

[@camcamtheairman6944]

Question: at 1:10 after Kawhi dived on the floor to get the ball couldn't James have dived instead of bending down and running to get the ball and a teammate could have come and helped him because I know running while bending over is just slower than normal running (just a question not hating)

[@ReelRonDog]

can't wait til they play Warriors hopefully that's soon

[@jamessaint9999]

Nobody : Kawhi’s Hands when offense thinks they’ve blown by or got away from him: “No, I don’t think YOU will”

[@RonnieHouseJr]

THAT BOY KAWHI AINT NO JOKE!!!

[@Maxcnote]

4:39 Leonard just doesn't give a shit whatsoever lmao dude had no idea what was going on 😂

[@XkowsBest]

Trevor Ariza was a beast defender

[@ToBe0rNotToBe1]

For those who play bball and take it seriously, I know effort plays a big part in being a good defender but is there any drills or what not that you can do to become an elite defender?