Kendrick Perkins says Kawhi reminds him of Michael Jordan
Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard appears to be in peak form after missing most of last season due to a quad injury.
Leonard averaged a career-high 26.6 points per contest in his first regular season north of the border while re-establishing himself as one of the best two-way players in the game.
His resurgence has impressed many, including retired NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins, who sees shades of arguably the greatest player of all time in Leonard.
"This may sound crazy, but Kawhi Leonard reminds me of Michael Jordan," Perkins said during a Monday appearance on ESPN's "Get Up."
"I'm not comparing him to Mike. But if you watch the way he plays, his style, the way he plays the game on both ends - he has a game that mimics Michael Jordan.
"It's not all the way fancy. He gets to his spots (on the floor). He's got nice turnarounds, big hands, palms the ball. And on the defensive end, he's probably the best in the game."
Leonard's strong play has carried into the postseason, as he's averaging 28 points per contest while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from downtown during the Raptors' first-round series against the Orlando Magic. If Leonard keeps this pace up, he'll become the only player in NBA history to shoot at least 50 percent from the field and at least 40 percent from long distance in five different postseasons, according to Basketball Reference.
Toronto can close out Orlando at home on Tuesday when Game 5 takes place at Scotiabank Arena.