Where's the promised weak inside line? (4th update)

Link shook Leonard right out of his shoes on the opening possession, putting enormous psychological pressure on Leonard.

He might still have looked expressionless, but that was only because he did not like showing his emotions on his face. It did not mean he had no emotions.

Leonard had played 11 games this season, and in nearly every one of them, he had shut down his direct assignment.

Against the Mavericks, he held Parsons, the "tall, rich, handsome" guy who had just signed a massive contract, to just 2-for-10 shooting.

Against the Suns, Bledsoe was hounded into going 3-for-15.

Against the Hawks, even Korver, historically an efficient shooter, stumbled because of Leonard, making just 1 of 5 from beyond the arc and shooting only 30 percent from the field overall.

Leonard's defensive ability had been tested in actual games. He had already become a nightmare for countless perimeter players.

If he had merely begun to show his talent in last season's playoffs, then this season, he was unquestionably a star player.

The title of "GDP's successor" was being applied to Leonard more and more often.

That was why Popovich, along with many fans and media outlets, was not blindly confident in Leonard. Leonard's performance this season had indeed been immensely encouraging.

But they had all overlooked one thing—among the players Leonard had defended over the past 11 games, not one could be mentioned in the same breath as Link.

Although Leonard had held Kobe to 1-for-14 during that stretch, showing him absolutely no mercy, even Kobe at this point could not compare to Link offensively.

Those examples simply did not apply to Link.

Leonard could stop them, but that did not mean he could stop Link.

On the Spurs' second possession, Duncan posted up Harris inside. But Gasol immediately came