Serge Ibaka says Kawhi Leonard more vocal now than he was with Raptors

Kawhi Leonard is more vocal than he has ever been.

Kawhi Leonard has stepped out of his comfort zone in a big way this season.

One of the biggest criticisms about Kawhi Leonard has generally been how quiet of a leader he's been. Most critics like to downplay his leadership because of that personality trait. He had one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history with the Toronto Raptors, but analysts claim Kyle Lowry was the leader. While that may ultimately be true, Kawhi Leonard still had to have one of the greatest playoff runs in history for the team to win a championship. Serge Ibaka was a member of that squad, and he's seen firsthand how Leonard has improved since then.

"I see him more vocal than my first year when I played with him in Toronto," Ibaka said. "This year he's talking more, he's involved more in everything. I can see he really learned from last year."

The Clippers have shown more camaraderie and chemistry in the first 30 games of this season than they showed all of last season. Players like Terance Mann have also mentioned that players are more willing to talk things out on the bench and that they're "more comfortable" together as a group. All of this comes with the territory of having a second year together. Players learn what they did wrong, they learn their teammates' tendencies, and they grow.

Whether or not Kawhi Leonard is playing, he's in the huddles with his teammates. He's making sure his voice is heard, and not just his game.