San Antonio Spurs Will Need Yet Another Gear from Kawhi Leonard in NBA Playoffs

Kawhi Leonard showed his superstar potential during the San Antonio Spurs' 2014 championship run, and they're going to need the same level of production from the fourth-year small forward as they defend their crown.

And even a little more.

Leonard's 2014 NBA Finals MVP award signified—and essentially solidified—what was expected to come from the San Diego State product.

His defense on LeBron James was nothing short of elite. Leonard ultimately racked up 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per outing while posting a 101 defensive rating.

But the Spurs expected those defensive contributions to come from the former first-round pick. One year later, that assumption hasn't changed. He's snatched a league-leading 2.3 steals per appearance, adding 0.8 blocks and a near-NBA-best 97 D-rating.

What Leonard is capable of on the offensive end, however, is the extra gear that San Antonio needs for the 2015 edition of the postseason.

Throughout the Finals, Leonard shot 61.2 percent from the floor and tallied 17.8 points per game, amassing a 136 offensive rating. Putting up those numbers against the best player in the world was undoubtedly impressive.

Nevertheless, while Leonard's flashes of superstardom were unmistakable, they merely showed what he was capable of accomplishing, not a reinforcement of what the 6'7" swingman had done.

Playing alongside a trio of future Hall of Famers in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker had certainly restrained Leonard up to that point. Before the 2014-15 campaign began, however, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he wanted Leonard to take on a larger role, as noted by Michael Lee of The Washington Post.

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We're trying to loosen up a bit and give him more of a green light. He's getting more license. When you're a young kid, you're going to defer to Timmy and Manu and [Tony]. Now it's like, 'To heck with those guys. The Big Three, they're older than dirt. To hell with them. You're the Big One. You've got to go do your deal.' So, we're trying to get him to be more demonstrative in that regard.

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Pop's concerted effort to get Leonard more involved in the offense started immediately this season, most notably against the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 10—San Antonio's sixth contest of the year.

"We ran more plays for him tonight than I ever have in his career," Popovich said, per B/R's Josh Martin. "That's the plan. We've got to start giving him the ball."

And give him the ball they have. Leonard's usage rate has ascended to a career-high mark. He's displayed a willingness to be selfish every so often without becoming over-reliant on himself, which is what San Antonio wanted from Leonard.

YEAR	USG%	FG	FGA	FG%	3P%	PPG
2011-12	14.5	3.1	6.3	49.3	37.6	7.9
2012-13	16.4	4.5	9.1	49.4	37.4	11.9
2013-14	18.3	5.1	9.8	52.2	37.9	12.8
2014-15	22.8	5.9	12.7	46.8	32.9	16.2

That elevated offensive impact is a critical step for Leonard's development as an elite player, but it's not exactly the extra gear required for the 2015 postseason: San Antonio needs Leonard to take over a game.

Though Parker remains the most integral piece of the Spurs' attack, banking on the soon-to-be 33-year-old to overpower defenses every night is simply unreasonable.

Plus, since the bench has struggled this season, San Antonio cannot rely on its backups to pick Parker up if he falters. Yes, the Foreign Legion has slowly started returning to its previous form, but declaring the reserves "back" is premature.

But Leonard can help atone for some struggles by flat-out grabbing control. He's shown that ability multiple times this year, most recently on March 29 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Leonard scored 15 consecutive points to open the fourth quarter, helping the Spurs snap a mini-scoring drought and pull away from the Grizz to earn a 103-89 victory.

Parker checked back in toward the beginning of the run, but he basically just stood there and watched Kawhi go to work.

Leonard exhibited a fearless and confident nature with the basketball, taking advantage of mismatches both at the perimeter and in the post.

The most impressive part of his hot streak was the variety of shots buried. Leonard drained a turnaround hook over his right shoulder, followed by a turnaround jumper over his left. He dropped in a pair of free-throw line jumpers. He connected on a corner three.

Without Leonard, San Antonio would've been forced to scrap to the finish. Instead, its quiet superstar hit another gear and propelled the team past Memphis.

"It has gotten easier, because I've been in the league," Leonard said, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. "It's my fourth year, and Coach Pop has a little bit more confidence in me. I get to do a little bit more of what I want on the floor."

San Antonio doesn't need Kawhi takeover mode like it requires his lockdown defense on a nightly basis, but the Western Conference playoffs will be a beast.

As important as Parker is, the veteran point guard can't be expected to out-duel the entire league by himself for four series, especially if the bench isn't playing a legitimate supporting role.

Leonard, however, can ease that pressure on his teammate, and the Spurs need their 23-year-old superstar to hit that next gear throughout the postseason.

Unless otherwise noted, stats are courtesy of Basketball-Reference and are accurate as of April 1.

Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.