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MILWAUKEE – A few hours before the game between San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night, Gregg Popovich presented a rather interesting and honest quote in his pre-match press session.
"Well, Kawhi [Leonard} was a great player, but he wasn’t a leader or anything,” Popovich said. “Manu [Ginobili] and Patty [Mills] were the leaders. Kawhi's talent will always be missed, but that leadership was not his business at that time. It may come as it progresses, but Patty and Manu fulfilled that role for us last year, and LaMarcus [Aldridge] traveled a long way in this regard too. "
Popovich shared his thoughts on Leonard after a supplementary question about the importance of Patty Mills for the Spurs. After commending Mills and the role he plays in the Spurs – "He's our inspiration, he's an ultimate warrior, he gives everything he's got all the time" – Popovich was asked if Mills' leadership was even more important now that players like Ginobili, Leonard and Tony Parker have left. It was at this point that Popovich took a step back from Leonard.
It seemed that Popovich was talking mainly about last season, while Leonard was missing everything but nine, in a strange saga of wounds, but the answer was nonetheless interesting. At the end of last season, Popovich noticed waves frustration and confusion on Leonard's status, but it was the first time that he was directly criticizing his former star.
Popovich and his new group, the Spurs, will have another chance to prove themselves Monday night by facing the Chicago Bulls at the United Center (at 8 pm local time – look fuboTV with the NBA League Pass extension).
What about the drama of the season, the obligation to exchange Leonard, as he began to dominate almost immediately in Toronto, or d? a combination of the three, it certainly seems that Popovich 's point of view on the defensive double player of the year has changed. Just two seasons ago, Popovich praised Leonard's calm leadership, and felt on the same path as Tim Duncan.
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