Leonard working on getting to the line more often

Kawhi Leonard entered the NBA as something like a shapeless lump of clay: valuable raw material, full of potential, but absent any clearly defined utility.

Over the course of five seasons, he and the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff have worked to mold his game into something beautiful and terrifying and startlingly complete. But even now that he's the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year and MVP runner-up, Leonard doesn't feel the work is done, and he's focused on filling in one of his few areas of weakness.

Leonard averaged just 4.6 free-throw attempts per game last season, but shot 15 (matching a career high) in the Spurs' opening-night romp over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. That was no coincidence, as he'd spent much of the offseason studying up on ways to get to the line more.

"Just to be able to go through it last year, and watching film and learning how people were guarding me, seeing where their hands are," Leonard explained to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. "I'm just starting to feel it and get a rhythm. As it keeps going, I am getting better at it."

His teammates have taken notice, too.

"He has become so good drawing contact, and with his hands and strength, showing you the ball and baiting you to foul him," said Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili said. "He has become unbelievable."

With ever fewer holes in his game, Leonard - who already owns a Finals MVP on top of his two DPOYs - could soon add even heavier hardware to his shelf.