NBA virtual 1-on-1 Tournament: Kawhi Leonard vs. DeMar DeRozan

The next matchup in the second round of the NBA Summer Showdown is between another community favorite versus one of the Cinderellas from round one.

The Rules

It is a half-court game in which the scoring increments are 1 point for everything inside the arc and 2 points for everything outside the arc, so long-distance bombers will do well in our tourney.  The higher seed starts off with the ball and the first player to 11 points wins. The possession switches every time the ball is scored, and your votes determine the winner.

Kawhi Leonard (2^nd Seed)

Tony Parker just came off the court against LeBron James, and the crowd is going insane. Tony looks over to Kawhi, makes eye contact, and shakes his head. The crowd begins to shake the ground with anticipation and excitement as another one of their home-town favorite steps onto the floor.

Kawhi is coming off of a dominate victory over Anthony Davis, one of the strongest 7^th seeds in the entire tournament. He has momentum on his side after facing an opponent that was much longer and taller than him. He now faces off against DeRozan, who is a lovely matchup for Kawhi.

DeRozan is at his best working closer to the perimeter than closer to the basket. That is perfect for Kawhi who can utilize his length best around the perimeter. Kawhi will have his way on defense as well as offense. DeRozan is not a defensive threat, so it should be a solid game for Kawhi.

DeMar DeRozan (6^th Seed)

DeRozan has multiple things going against him in this game, but the one thing he has going for him is that he had probably the most surprising upset of the first round. I know I didn't expect him to beat out Kyrie Irving, and he could do the same thing this time around.

DeRozan does have an interesting part to his game that tells me he is better in a loose, streetball environment. He is not a scrub on the NBA floor, but he isn't a consistent All-Star either. (My hunch is 100% based on this video)

Any way that you look at this one, it doesn't shape out well for DeRozan.

Now It's Your Turn

This is where you decide the outcome. Vote on the poll below and make sure to let your opinion be known in the comments of this article.