I agree. It was not racial but some people made it that way.
So character, work ethic, off the court stuff, whatever. Those things are not an issue with Leonard. The issue is that it's still a long way to go for him skill-wise. An athletic wing in the Mountain West Conference who's projected as a lottery pick should shoot better than 44% from the field. That's abysmal. His shooting and offense in general need to get a whole lot better for his defense and rebounding to really make a difference on the court.
If anything, it's his character and work ethic that are boosting him up. The belief that he can get better.