Kawhi Leonard's Role Must Continuously Expand for San Antonio Spurs

Over the past decade, the San Antonio Spurs have built a reputation as one of the league's most consistent squads. With trademarked depth, an experienced coach and a trio of veterans, little fluctuation from season to season has become a norm.

However, with the Big Three on its way out, the hallmark consistency can no longer be expected. Believe it or not, the transition into the franchise's next era has already begun, and nowhere can this be seen better than through the emergence of Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard, 22, is coming off one of the greatest seasons of any player his age in NBA history. After matching up with and outplaying LeBron James in the 2014 NBA Finals, the San Diego State product was named the youngest Finals MVP since Magic Johnson. Perhaps faster than any player not named Anthony Davis, Leonard's stock is trending upwards.

But as he eventually prepares to take over as the indisputable face of the franchise, Leonard is going to have to undergo quite a bit of change. Though the 2013-14 season is easily identifiable as a watershed year for the fourth-year forward, his role was still small—that is, relative to players of equal caliber.

With Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili already dominating in predefined roles, Leonard stepped in as a mere complement. And while defenders learned to respect him more and more as the season progressed, he was rarely thought of as an offensive centerpiece, averaging under 13 points per game on just 12 attempted shots per night. 

However, 2014-15 will be a different story. It has to be. 

Leonard has already assumed a leadership role on the defensive end; that was guaranteed the moment he stepped onto the NBA hardwood for the first time.

Yet people have doubted his capacity on offense, though, for quite a bit of time. Annually, the youngster silences critics by introducing a new facet of his offensive repertoire. And after proving himself as a reliable option from anywhere on the court in last year's postseason, any more growth would render Leonard severely underused if his playing time and role don't increase with his abilities.

Per Spurs Nation's Dan McCarney, the small forward believes that the first step in making the jump would come in the form of seeing his playing time increase:

"

In the Finals I’m playing 35 minutes a game, so I’m on the floor more and able to score the ball more and get more rebounds. So I’m going to have to get consistent minutes to play at a consistent level like that. I’ve been trying to (be a dominant player) since I’ve been here.

It’s just in order to get me more involved in the offense, that’s what I go by. Like I said, if I’m going to get seven more minutes on the floor, that’s going to be important. We’ll see what happens. I mean, my role was supposed to expand last year and we played pretty much the same basketball. So we’ll see what Coach Pop has.

"

During last year's regular season, Leonard—like everyone on the team—averaged under 30 minutes per game. While that feat is incredible, and certainly ideal if a team is planning to make a long postseason run, it would hurt San Antonio in the long run to avoid extending Leonard's playing time in 2014-15.

At this point, winning now and preparing for the next chapter are equally important. Using Leonard properly and giving him the appropriate time to adapt while the transition is still underway is an absolute must.

But even if he is able to convince coach Gregg Popovich to give him more time on the court, he'll still have to face the reality that the roster, at least for now, is overflowing with talent. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are still on the team, and while few can deny that they accentuate his greatness, they also hamper his ability to prove himself capable of accepting a larger role as an independent star.

In the past, plays nearly always began in the hands of Parker and were filtered through Duncan in the post. With Leonard on the ascent, that can no longer be the case. 

Along with his ability to create his own shot, Leonard's distributing aptitude and ball-handling prowess have increased since he was drafted in 2011. He is more than ready for a more featured role on offense this season.

Of course, his arrival in the limelight means that Duncan and Co. are going to have to sacrifice quite a bit. 

But if last year's postseason was any suggestion of the direction that Leonard is heading, he is growing into one of the league's most versatile players, with a balanced skill set that can carry teams to championships.

For Leonard, the biggest obstacle he'll have to overcome will simply be getting the opportunities. 

He's a fast learner, and the talent is definitely there. To reach the level, though, that San Antonio desires going forward, he's going to have to be given a greater role.

And after his brilliant display on the sport's biggest stage, I'd say he's more than earned it.