Leonard praises Bennedict Mathurin's immediate impact.
The Los Angeles Clippers pulled off a pair of blockbuster trades ahead of the deadline, shipping out James Harden and Ivica Zubac while bringing in younger pieces to reshape the roster.
One of those new faces is Bennedict Mathurin, the 23-year-old swingman who came over from Indiana as part of the Zubac deal.
With just two games under his belt in a Clippers uniform, Mathurin is already turning heads, and his new teammates are taking notice.
After Wednesday's 105-102 comeback win over the Houston Rockets, Kawhi Leonard had nothing but good things to say about his newest teammate.
"He's been good," Leonard said. "An aggressive player on the offensive end. He did a great job tonight on a few possessions on the defensive end, getting some steals in that fourth quarter, getting an open court foul, knocking down his free throws, and getting into the paint. He'll get better as time goes on. It's only been 48 hours."
That last part says a lot.
Mathurin has not even had a full practice with the Clippers yet, and he is already making an impact on both ends of the floor.
Mathurin's First Two Games With the Clippers
In his Clippers debut on Tuesday against Houston, Mathurin came off the bench and put up nine points on 4-of-13 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds, dishing four assists and collecting three steals.
The shots were not falling, but the effort and energy were there.
Head coach Tyronn Lue felt he was being a little too passive and talked to him about being more aggressive ahead of Wednesday's game.
That talk paid off in a big way.
On Wednesday night, Mathurin helped spark a comeback from 13 points down in the second half, finishing with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
He attacked the basket and got to the free throw line all night, going 9-of-10 from the stripe.
The biggest play came with just over three minutes left in a tie game, when Mathurin picked Amen Thompson's pocket at halfcourt, drew a foul and knocked down both free throws to give the Clippers a lead they would not give back.
Mathurin is averaging 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists on the season across his time in both Indiana and Los Angeles, and he brings the kind of scoring punch the Clippers badly need.
What This Means for the Clippers' Second Half Push
The Clippers head into the All-Star break at 26-28, sitting in the play-in picture in the Western Conference.
It has been a wild ride for this group, going from a 6-21 start to winning 20 of their last 27 games before some bumps at the deadline reshaped the roster.
Leonard has been the driving force behind the turnaround, putting up a career-high 27.9 points per game while also ranking second in the league in steals.
He scored 19 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday to seal the win, showing that when the game is on the line, there are few players in the NBA you would rather have.
With Darius Garland still working his way back from a toe injury and a roster full of new faces learning the system on the fly, the Clippers are far from a finished product.
But between Leonard's elite play, Mathurin's early flashes and the return of Garland down the road, there is a real foundation forming in Los Angeles.
The second half of the season will be about building chemistry and finding out just how far this revamped group can go with Leonard leading the way.
If Mathurin's first 48 hours are any sign of what is to come, the Clippers might have found something special.