Kawhi Leonard has won his second straight Defensive Player of the Year award, and it is certainly well deserved. And as SportsCenter noted, he’s the first perimeter player to win Defensive Player of the Year award twice in a year since Sidney Moncrief.
Unfortunately, the reaction to that tidbit is probably going to be: “Who is Sidney Moncrief?” So let us take a step back through history to talk about one of basketball’s most underrated players – and how he compares to Kawhi Leonard.
Moncrief played almost his entire career for the Milwaukee Bucks, whom he joined in 1979. Moncrief was never a flashy player and was often overshadowed by other stars due to playing in a small market. Even on the Bucks, teammates like Marques Johnson and Terry Cummings made the headlines owing to their scoring prowess as compared to Moncrief.
But over a five-year stretch from 1981 to 1986, Moncrief was one of the best perimeter players in the NBA. He averaged 21 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in that stretch even though he was not the primary ball handler on the team. He made the All-Star team all five years, the All-NBA Second Team four times, and the All-NBA First Team in 1983. During that period, he was considered amongst the top ten to top five players in the league.
But it was his defence which ultimately got Moncrief recognition. Just like Leonard, Moncrief was a long-limbed, athletic small forward. He played tighter on his man than his peer because he knew that he could react, and was known for his relentless hustle and getting stronger throughout his career.
And also like Leonard, Moncrief’s hustle and scoring prowess meant that he could keep his opposing guard working on the defensive end, limiting their energy and tiring them out in clutch time.
In 1985, Moncrief’s Bucks took on the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Bulls were led by a rookie Michael Jordan, who still scored 29.5 points per game over the series. But the Bucks prevailed in four, and Jordan observed that Moncrief “will hound you everywhere you go, both ends of the court.”
But the Bucks never made the NBA Finals, and Moncrief’s knees began to give out in 1986. He played for four more seasons before retiring. And despite all of his accomplishments, he was never elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
So how does a prime Moncrief compare to Leonard? It is difficult to say. On one hand, it should be noted that while we may think of the 1980s as a knock it down, tough league characterized by the Bad Boy Pistons, teams in the 1980s actually played at a much, much higher pace than even the fastest NBA teams today. This means that players like Moncrief had an easier time filling up the box score. But on the other hand, Moncrief didn’t dominate the ball in Milwaukee as much as Leonard did this season for San Antonio.
The other thing to consider is the three-point line. Leonard has become a real three-point marksman who can make opposing defenses pay with his shot. But as the three-point line was introduced in 1979, teams and players were not really as comfortable with it as they are today. Leonard attempted 291 three-pointers this season. Moncrief by contrast, attempted just 178 threes total over that five-year dominating stretch. But Moncrief had a very good midrange game, and it is not inconceivable to think that he might have developed one given the opportunity.
What should be clear from this is that to compare Leonard to Moncrief is in no way an insult to Leonard. For a brief stretch, Moncrief was one of the best players in the game, and he should be remembered as more than a footnote in the NBA.
