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Leonard said his unique first name – which as the same pronunciation as the Hawaiian island Kauai (kuh-why) -- doesn’t carry any special meaning, since his parents “told me they made it up out of the top of their head.” He credits his late father, Mark, for providing the motivation for his basketball career. Mark Leonard was 43 when he gunned down at a car wash three years ago, but his son still played the next night. “My dad leaving my life. That’s the biggest thing that happened to me,” said Leonard, a native of Riverside, Calif. “I just remember what he tells me, the memories and try to move on forward each day, knowing that he’s still here, looking down on me.” Washington Post

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

And, while he is still considered a tweener, Leonard his rapid ascension since declaring for the draft has only pushed him to get better and go higher. “It’s not really overwhelming at all for me. If you’re working hard, good things are going to come from it. You just can’t get caught up in all the hype and what people say around you,” Leonard said. “I’m just out here working hard, trying to get picked. I want to be a high pick and a lot of hard work comes with that. I just want to be a player in the NBA.” Washington Post

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

Kevin Durant also struggled in this setting and much was made about it before the draft. If you watched his highlight reel dunk against the Mavs this week, it's pretty hard to make the argument he's a poor athlete. One theory about Leonard's poor testing is that he did not warm up prior to doing the test. Because Leonard skipped drills, he sat in a freezing gym (and it was freezing) for an hour and then went straight to the tests. I saw this happen and we commented on it when we were broadcasting the combine. Everyone else had gotten 45 minutes of drill work in to loosen up. It makes a difference. ESPN.com

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Alex Kennedy: Everyone is talking about Kawhi Leonard only completing 3 bench press reps, but he's 6'7 with a 7' 3 wingspan. His reps are more difficult. Twitter

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

Chad Ford: Kawhi Leonard surprised me with poor testing. 32" vert is not very good for a guy who has a rep as a great athlete. Only benched bar 3 time Twitter

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

Clearly, Leonard was not one of the "winners" of the Draft Combine's athletic testing results and shooting chart. Who were the winners? Isaiah Thomas, who measured two inches taller than he was listed at (5-foot-10), shot 76 percent on college 3-pointers and 72 percent on NBA 3-pointers in the spot-up shooting drills. He made 61 percent of his mid-range jumpers off the dribble and 92 percent (12-of-13) of his timed mid-range jumpers on the move. Thomas measured a 40-inch vertical and bench pressed 185 pounds 13 times. He's strong, he's athletic and he can shoot. Other than his height, which turned out better than expected, there isn't much of a knock on Thomas. Andrew Goudelock measured a 37-inch vertical, had the second fastest lane agility time and shot the lights out in the drills. In the timed mid-range shooting on the move, Goudelock made all 21 of his attempts. He made 76 percent of his spot-up NBA 3-pointers and 68 percent of college 3-pointers. He made 78 percent of his mid-range jumpers off the dribble. Goudelock proved his claim as the best shooter in the draft and he showed that he's quite the athlete as well. The Hoops Report

Draft, Isaiah Thomas, Kawhi Leonard, Andrew Goudelock 

The 6-7 Leonard has been rising on many draft boards after a standout season with the Aztecs and said he thought he could go anywhere from No. 4 to No. 15 in the draft. He averaged 10.6 rebounds as a sophomore. “I’m working on staying on balance and shooting a lot,” said Leonard. “I’m working on ball handling. “Milwaukee is a good team and I think I could transition into the team. I play defense. I have goals set when I get to the NBA.” Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

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Chad Ford: Now hearing Alec Burks also pulling out of predraft drills. Enes Kanter and Kawhi Leonard also considering skipping drills. Twitter

Draft, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, Kawhi Leonard 

Alex Kennedy: The Cavaliers really like Kawhi Leonard. I wouldn't be surprised to see them draft Kyrie Irving and Leonard. Twitter

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Sam Amick: A few draft observations from chats I've been having: San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard is on the rise, Fredette is down pretty deep Twitter

Draft, Jimmer Fredette, Kawhi Leonard 

Abunassar has a great track record with clients like Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, Danny Granger, Rudy Gay and many others. Once again this year he has a whopping 20-plus prospects in his gym preparing for the draft. Here are five things I learned: 1. Kawhi Leonard is a big-time prospect The San Diego State forward remains a bit of an enigma to NBA scouts. He ranked as just the 56th-best high school prospect in the class of 2009 by ESPNU and didn't really come on until his senior year in high school. ESPN.com

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

I've been trying to find a good NBA comp for him all year, and I think the best may be the Blazers' Gerald Wallace. Leonard has the same type of motor and toughness and is more skilled than you think. If he keeps shooting the ball like he did Tuesday and Wednesday, I believe he could end up being a top-5 pick in the draft. We've moved him up to No. 5 on our Big Board after seeing what he brings to the table. He may not be a superstar at the next level, but it's hard to figure how he misses as a 10-year NBA player with that work ethic, physical profile and motor. ESPN.com

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

Leonard is currently working out at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas and he's improving each and every day. He has turned heads and he has all of the trainers and prospects singing his praises. "It feels good knowing that all of the hard work paid off – all of the work throughout high school and college," Leonard said. "It feels terrific having scouts notice me and having general managers say that I'm a top ten pick. It's great and it just makes me want to work harder." HoopsWorld

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

His perimeter game has drastically improved and he has silenced any questions about his range. "That's something I want to improve on and show people," Leonard said. "I didn't shoot as well as I wanted to in college. I had a low percentage from three so I'm just trying to get my shot ready for the next level. I'm just working on my shot and trying to get my whole offensive game down. I'm really improving my perimeter game and showing that I can shoot the ball better than they saw at San Diego State." HoopsWorld

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

Alex Kennedy: Trainers and scouts are comparing Kawhi Leonard to a young Ron Artest but with more skills offensively. Twitter

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There are still a few formal papers left to sign, an “i” to dot on his signature, but Kawhi Leonard’s collegiate career is over. He has a professional agent. “It’s a done deal,” Kim Robertson, Leonard's mother, said Thursday. The San Diego State star sophomore chose Brian Elfus of Impact Sports Management, a firm that is well entrenched in the NFL and is beginning to grow its client base in basketball. Its biggest basketball name is Charlotte Bobcats forward Tyrus Thomas, in his fifth NBA season after leaving Louisiana State following his freshman year. “They were very accommodating,” Robertson said. “They sound like they are very family oriented, which is what we wanted.” San Diego Union-Tribune

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

Jorge Sierra: Former San Diego State forward Kawhi Leonard has signed with agent Brian Elfus. Twitter

Draft, Agents, Kawhi Leonard 

At 6-foot-7, Leonard may seem to be a tweener, but his huge hands, 7-foot-1 wingspan and leaping ability level the playing field, allowing him to guard multiple positions. And, like Burks, he possesses a work ethic that is a separator in the college game and NBA alike. "From day one, nobody worked harder," San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said during the NCAA Tournament. "He is a gym rat who is constantly trying to get better, which is why from year one to year two he was significantly better and determined to get even better as he goes along. "He's got huge hands, and pursues the ball like no other player that I've coached. When he gets his hands on the ball, he will usually get it. He's a hard guard because he can score on the bounce, he's good with the ball, he can post you up and he's just good enough to where you're hesitant to back off him and give him an open shot from the perimeter." NBA.com

Draft, Kawhi Leonard 

The current field could challenge the 2003 draft class for historic international appeal, with eight such prospects being taken in that first round. Detroit's ill-fated selection of Darko Milicic with that year's No. 2 pick clearly scared the trend away, with the numbers never returning to those levels and the latest round reaching new lows. Kevin Seraphin was the only international player to be taken in the 2010 first round, as the French power forward was taken 17th overall by Chicago. None of the executives polled by SI.com sounded pleased with this development, though. In fact, the reality that these particular players are on the rise is seen by some as an indictment of the American-born crop as it currently stands. "I guarantee you, if this was next year's class, with the guys that are going back to school and the incoming freshmen, nobody would feel the need to spend months of time in Kaunas, Lithuania (Motiejunas' hometown)," one general manager said. "But you start staring at Kemba Walker and [Kentucky guard] Brandon Knight and [Kentucky forward] Terrence Jones, and Kawhi Leonard in the lottery, and you start going, 'Oh my God, I'd better get on a plane and go find somebody.'" SI.com

Draft, Terrence Jones, Kemba Walker, Donatas Motiejunas, Kawhi Leonard, Brandon Knight 

San Diego State forward Kawhi Leonard says he'll hire an agent and enter the NBA draft, meaning the Aztecs are losing four starters from the best team in school history. Leonard is skipping his final two seasons after helping the Aztecs go 34-3 and reach the NCAA round of 16 for the first time. The Aztecs lost to eventual national champion Connecticut in the West regional semifinal. ESPN.com

Draft, Kawhi Leonard