Kawhi Leonard Has by far Been the MVP of the 2019 NBA Playoffs

Getty Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors drives toward the hoope during the game against Brooklyn Nets.

Kawhi Leonard’s dominance has been pretty obvious throughout the 2019 NBA playoffs, but a trending Instagram post has shown that Kawhi has made up about a third of the Toronto Raptors’ total offensive efficiency this postseason.

Instagram user, @llewelly_jean (Owen Phillips), compiled data from basketball-reference.com which shows the Toronto Raptors’ offensive rating severely decreases when Kawhi Leonard is not on the floor.

Although Leonard’s team-leading 32.3 points per game this postseason puts him leagues above any other player on the Raptors, Kawhi’s offensive rating of 126 and his 44.1 points per 100 possessions are two stats that are pushing the Raptors to new heights this postseason.

Toronto’s point guard, and arguably the team’s second-best player, Kyle Lowry has also put up decent numbers with 11.9 points per game, 7.6 assists per game and a 105 offensive rating. But these are schoolboy numbers compared to Leonard, as even Toronto’s emerging star, Pascal Siakam, has put up better numbers than Lowry. Siakam has scored 21.3 points per game, snatched 6.9 rebounds per game and has posted a 113 offensive rating in the 2019 playoffs.

How Is a Team’s Offensive Rating Calculated?

According to Basketball-Reference, a team’s offensive rating is calculated by keeping track of points scored by a team per 100 possessions. Kawhi’s dominance this postseason could be easily exemplified through his 32.3 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game, but these stats really don’t have anything to do with his individual offensive rating or his team’s overall offensive rating. Of course, yes Kawhi putting up these numbers is pushing Toronto to a higher level of play, but both Kawhi’s and his team’s offensive rating when he is on the floor is more of a testament to Kawhi’s consistency, more than anything else.

Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors reacts in front of Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Comparing Kawhi to the Milwaukee Bucks’ MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and his offensive performance in the playoffs, it is a world of difference when looking at offensive rating. Milwaukee’s team offensive rating actually decreases when Antetokounmpo is on the floor from just above 115 to just below 120 when Giannis is off the floor. Compare that to the Raptors, whose rating skyrockets from just below 80 when Kawhi is off the floor to around 120 when he is on, and it can be seen how valuable Leonard has been this postseason.

GettyKawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The difference between the two stars and their contributions to their team’s offensive ratings is a two-part answer. Dan Oliver who developed the formulas to calculate offensive and defensive ratings says that floor percentage is not the end all be all for a particular player’s rating. “Though [Shaquille O’Neal] may have a high floor percentage, his poor foul shooting means that he has a lot of one-point possessions, bringing his offensive rating down a bit,” Oliver notes in his 2004 book Basketball on Paper. “Good three-point shooters like Reggie Miller, who may not have the highest floor percentage, will have higher offensive ratings.”

Three-point shooting is the stat that really sets Leonard and Giannis apart. A stellar 50 percent from beyond the arc from Leonard is helping his team’s overall rating compared to Antetokounmpo who is shooting a mere 34 percent.

GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrates after a dunk against the Houston Rockets.

This can also be seen when comparing Giannis with teammate Khris Middleton prior to game four of Milwaukee’s second-round playoff matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Middleton, whose rating was 122.9 compared to Antetokounmpo’s 114, relies on his ability to knock down threes more than his superstar teammate. This is seen in his 53.6 percent clip from downtown compared to Giannis’ 28.1 percent from three-point land prior to last night.

Looking Ahead for Kawhi & The Raptors

The playoffs are far from over for Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors, but they still have to get through at least two more games against the Philadelphia 76ers. Game five versus the Sixers will take place back in Toronto on May 7th at 8PM EST on TNT.

If the Raptors do manage to get past Philadelphia it will the franchise’s second time reaching a conference finals and it will probably be on the back of their super-efficient superstar, Kawhi Leonard. The last time they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals was the 2016 playoffs where they were beaten by a Lebron James led Cleveland Cavaliers team.