When NBA coaches praise players from opposing teams, compliments tend to fall into the category of cliche. "He plays with a lot of heart," is a commonly used expression. Even the, "He's been around the league," is a frequently used expression of praise.

But calling a player a robot? That's not exactly a compliment ... unless you're talking about Kawhi Leonard, whose cool demeanor has Grizzlies coach David Fizdale thumbing through the rulebook to check his eligibility.

"First-class individual, tireless worker from everything I hear about him. He was standing next to me the other night and he wasn't breathing," Fizdale said Thursday. "So I'm going to check the rulebook and find out if robots are allowed to play in the NBA. Because somehow, Pop and them have figured it out. They know something I don't know. This guy bleeds antifreeze or something. He's something special, man."

I've never noticed, but Fizdale might be on to something. Leonard is a living, breathing robot who quietly powers the No. 2 seed Spurs with his unlimited battery-powered energy, and he's been fully charged for the postseason.  Leonard is averaging 34.5 points through two playoff games -- both of which the Spurs have won -- and doesn't appear to be slowing down.

Welcome to the future, Mr. Fizdale, where robots run the NBA and fines for ragging on officiating pay themselves.