How Kawhi Leonard completely changes a game with a single play

There are plenty of ways to show force. Tuesday, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard took turns exerting their powers in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, in the most visceral way.

Westbrook led his team on a 22-2 run that erased a double-digit deficit, scoring, assisting, and creating the general havoc that is natural for him. Leonard countered with an array of crossovers, deep threes, and poster dunks in the last quarter to win the game for the Spurs.

But one can also show force in small, hidden ways, using unnoticeable power that has massive consequences. That’s exactly what Leonard, with Gregg Popovich’s blessing, did to stop the Thunder’s 22-2 run. It was only one play, but it won the game for the Spurs.

With the Spurs reeling after giving up a large lead and the Thunder on the verge of taking control of the game, Popovich switched Leonard onto Westbrook for just one play. Switch the two-time Defensive Player of the Year onto the hot player isn’t new, but it’s still powerful each time.

Westbrook brought the ball up the court and Leonard crouched down to meet him at the top of the key. Westbrook called for a screen and Steven Adams set one right under Leonard, on the left. Westbrook went that way, but Leonard chased him around the screen, somehow managing to recover in time to contest Westbrook’s jumper and get a piece of the shot. It fell short of the basket and the Spurs recovered the ball.

A timeout came, both players were taken out and the Spurs reserves retook the lead after the restart. They never trailed again.

There was another moment a few minutes after that also showed the extent of Leonard’s power. Halfway into the fourth, during which Leonard was doing whatever he pleased against the Thunder’s defense, he also managed to deter Westbrook from attacking the hoop on a fast break. Westbrook had Leonard in his sights, and in most situations, Westbrook, forever fearless and bursting with energy, would have taken that ball right into the chest of his enemy and scored.

Yet, as he marched close to the rim and saw Leonard in his way, he dribbled it back out and chose another option: a Cameron Payne trail three. A decent enough play, but definitely not a Westbrook-ian one.

This is the effect of the earlier switch and the general reputation that Leonard holds as a lockdown defender. He doesn’t just steal the ball or put his opponents in a straitjacket. He also makes them hesitant to be themselves. He forces them to distrust their own instincts and think twice in a game where confidence and flow are critical.

That switch, that one play ordered by Popovich, was a declaration of strength, as well. It said it stark terms that even an all-consuming force like Westbrook can be stopped by a greater entity. It was a tactical show by Popovich, a reminder that he has the ability to change the complexion of a game with one adjustment anytime he wants.

It’s reminiscent of a huge moment in the Marvel Comics world.

In the House of M, Wanda Maximoff, known as Scarlet Witch, was being guarded by her father Magneto and Charles Xavier. Her immense powers included the ability to warp reality, but given her insanity, she posed a threat to humanity. That’s why she was guarded.

Eventually, they decided that she needed to be killed. Her brother, Quicksilver, distraught at this decision, convinced his sister to create a perfect world that fulfilled everyone’s deepest desires. But soon, it was discovered that her world was an illusion and a large fight broke out between those who preferred this reality and the ones that didn’t.

During this confrontation, Magneto learns the truth of this illusionary world, so he lashes out and nearly kills Quicksilver for his part in the ruse. Wanda seeing the chaos around her, explodes.

But it’s not her energy blasts that has the most effect. It’s when she puts an end to the entire conflict with a few words. She whispers “No more mutants,” and the illusionary world simply disappears.

There are, of course, other examples of words and indistinct adjustments that shift realities on their own. Small sections of laws and policies often hold this effect. The magic phrase “I love you,” does the same for relationships.

So, too, did that one possession where Popovich switched Leonard onto Westbrook. In those few seconds, the Spurs’ coach revealed that in a league where the best teams have their own game-changers, he holds the most effective counter: Kawhi Leonard.

It also helps that Leonard’s temperament is so different from Westbrook’s and most other greats. Westbrook’s power is visceral and relentless. He smashes, wrecks, and screams. Leonard, on the other hand, is methodical and stoic. He’s the strong and silent type.

His demeanor is aligned with his best skill. No, not the dunks, three-pointers, fadeaways or the steals, but the hesitancy and dread he invokes in opponents with his mere presence. Just ask LeBron James.

Leonard, with his coach’s deployment, has the ability to stop a 22-2 run without any flash or visible effort. He can deter opponents from playing as they normally would.

These are the moments that Popovich can order at his whim with a few simple words. These are the moments that show Leonard’s true power.