NBA History: Kawhi Leonard's 5 best teammates of all time

#4 LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge

Kawhi Leonard spent the first 6 years of his career toiling for the San Antonio Spurs and disaster struck him and the franchise in the spring of 2017 during the Western Conference Finals. A bad landing thanks to the play of one Zaza Pachulia, then a Golden State Warrior, cost the Spurs a 20 plus point lead in the game, potentially the series and it definitely cost the Spurs the services of Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard would only play in nine more games during a drama-filled 2017/18 season for the Spurs due to bickering about just how injured he was. But that 2017 WCF game was a blow to Aldridge’s first real shot at an NBA title as the Spurs, who still had Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili on the roster were at this stage led by Aldridge and Leonard.

Aldridge who for his career averages 19.6 ppg and 8.4 rpg found the defensive pressure in that series against Golden State hard to handle and had a 4/11 shooting night in the finale of the Warriors' 4-game sweep of the Spurs.

That disaster aside, Aldridge is a power forward/center who has been dominant in the NBA for 13 seasons and is a 7-time All-Star. If Leonard did not get hurt in the opening game of the 2017 WCF, Aldridge and Leonard would and could have provided a great 1-2 scoring punch against the Warriors.