It’s always funny to look at past Draft classes and wonder why some teams have spent their turns on players who got incredibly strong a few years later. A little anecdote about Kawhi Leonard and the Suns, which you may not have heard of, encourages us to put into perspective the importance of the interviews conducted by the franchises on the sidelines of the famous annual evening.
Flops and fails, the 5 years that plagued Phoenix
As told Paul Choir of the Arizona Republic, Phoenix, who had the 13th pick in 2011, interviewed the Los Angeles Clippers superstar and concluded that the drafter wouldn’t be a good idea.
“The Suns front office was managing its first Draft that year. The General Manager at the time, Lance Blanks, did not have Kawhi Leonard in his shortlist on D-Day. The reason, beyond doubts about his shot outside, was his nervousness during the interview which took place during the Draft Combine. He was sweating profusely under his costume.
Instead of Kawhi Leonard, the Suns drafted Markieff Morris, leaving the Spurs and Pacers to negotiate a trade around the young San Diego State winger. Today, Leonard is a two-time NBA champion, two-time MVP of the Finals and vying to become one of the few players to have won a title – and possibly the only one to be voted MVP of the Finals – with three different teams.
The Suns aren’t the only ones who have underestimated Kawhi Leonard’s talent. But they are still one of the most customary in terms of questionable Draft choices for 10 years. As for the outside shoot, then identified as a gap in the Californian’s panoply, the Spurs quickly put Chip Engelland, their guru in the matter, on the spot. In 2020, it wouldn’t occur to anyone in their right mind to give “The Klaw” too much space to fire a shot …
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