We’ll see whether Steve Kerr will have to walk back his comments after what he said about Kawhi Leonard ahead of the win-or-go-home matchup on Wednesday.
After going 3-1 in the regular-season series, the Warriors and Clippers will face off one more time to see who advances to the next round of the play-in tournament.
Ahead of the game, when asked about stopping Leonard, the Warriors coach made a subtle accusation. He had this to say:
“We’ll have some rules for our guys that we’ve had in regular season games too in terms of not letting [Kawhi Leonard] do certain things,” Kerr said. “He’s going to really try to get fouled. He’s going to do the NBA thing which lots of guys are doing. [Brandin Podziemski] does it for us, he’ll try to use the rules against the other team and get to the foul line so we have to be prepared for all of that, just like they do with [Brandin Podziemski].”
Steve Kerr has had several key game-planning duels with Kawhi Leonard, most notably during the 2017 Western Conference Finals and the 2019 NBA Finals. However, labeling him a “foul baiter” is a far-fetched claim at best, especially since he hasn’t consistently received the same superstar whistle as many other elite players.
His statement received a lot of negative backlash. Here is what some people had to say about the controversial accusation.
“This mf thinks Kawhi is a foul baiter?? Kawhi, please deliver a steamy hot belt,” Kawhi2Ximes on X said.
“Kawhi is probably the most ethical scorer in the game rn and this dork is saying he’s a foul baiter 😭😭,” @FlemingsEnjoyer said.
“Does Kerr know that kawhi has the worst whistle for a super star,” @LACFAN4LIFE said
“Comparing Kawhi to Podziemski is nasty work,” Liam said.
“Curry is more a foul-baiter thn Kawhi. C’mon Steve Kerr be honest,” Jan said.
Leonard is not known for hunting for foul calls like some other players in the league. The two-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP only averages 6.4 free-throw attempts per game, which is good for 12th in the league this season.
Warriors face Kawhi Leonard conundrum in a do-or-die clash
Golden State’s fate on Wednesday may hinge on containing Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, the most dangerous player on either roster. Leonard averaged a career-best 27.9 points this regular season. The 34-year-old led the team in rebounds, assists and steals this season, posting 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
This is the third straight play-in matchup and the fourth meeting in six seasons for the Warriors. The Clippers have been the Warriors’ kryptonite since the arrival of Leonard. They have won 18 of the 26 matchups against Golden State. In the three regular-season games he played, Leonard proved decisive in Clippers victories. He also has a 5-1 record in his last six games against them, raising questions about whether Golden State can flip the script this time.
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