| Advertisement |
May 29 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has noticed the superb postseason play of Toronto Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard and compared him to Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan. During a segment Tuesday on SportsCenter, Rivers heaped praise on Leonard for his remarkable performances in the NBA playoffs.
Advertisement
"He is the most like Jordan that we've seen," Rivers said. "There's a lot of great players. LeBron [James] is phenomenal, [Kevin Durant] is phenomenal. Not that he is Jordan or anything like that, but he's the most like him. Big hands, post game, can finish, great leaper, great defender, in-between game, if you beat him to the spot he bumps you off and then you add his 3-point shooting."
The 27-year-old forward has been red-hot during the Raptors' run to the NBA Finals. Leonard is averaging 31.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from 3-point territory during his impressive stretch in the playoffs.
As a member of the Bulls, Jordan was part of two separate 3-peats. He averaged 33.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game in the playoffs.
Toronto beat the Orlando Magic in five games during the first round. The Raptors, using a buzzer-beater from Leonard in Game 7, edged the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Raptors advanced to the Finals with a Game 6 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals on Saturday.
Leonard has a $21.3 million player option for the 2019-20 season that he is expected to decline. Rivers' Clippers are currently the odds-on favorites to sign the star forward this summer, according to Caesars Palace.
