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Kawhi Leonard pulls away and makes a fall away jumper after beng fouled by Dario Saric with Richaun Holmes following the play as the Spurs host the Sixers at the AT&T Center on February 2, 2017.
Kawhi Leonard pulls away and makes a fall away jumper after beng fouled by Dario Saric with Richaun Holmes following the play as the Spurs host the Sixers at the AT&T Center on February 2, 2017.
Kawhi Leonard heaves into the defense of Dario Saric as the Spurs host the Sixers at the AT&T Center on February 2, 2017.
Kawhi Leonard heaves into the defense of Dario Saric as the Spurs host the Sixers at the AT&T Center on February 2, 2017.
Most of the national talk so far this season has centered on how James Harden or Russell Westbrook are the leading early choice for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award for their triple-double seasons to date.
Or if it’s not them, maybe Kevin Durant for his work helping lead Golden State to the league’s best record.
But others are daring to think outside the box about the award and consider Kawhi Leonard as a legitimate MVP candidate.
Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated’s “The Crossover” had an interesting column this week that shows maybe the national media are thinking about what Leonard has accomplished this season after the fastest start of his career.
Here’s what Nadkarni had to say about Leonard earlier this week:
“Leonard has the ability to dominate the game on both ends of the court, something the top three MVP candidates have lacked consistency in throughout their careers. Leonard’s defensive metrics have slipped slightly this season, but he’s also taken on a larger burden on both sides of the ball, particularly considering the defensive shortcomings in San Antonio’s frontcourt. While Tim Duncan wasn’t playing at an MVP level last season, there is something to be said about the Spurs’ continued greatness after the loss of their franchise star, and those roads lead back to Kawhi.”
Other sites aren’t as quick to embrace Nadkarni’s premise.
Sekou Smith continues to have Leonard at fourth on his list for NBA.com behind Harden, Durant and Westbrook with this report released on Friday morning.
“Leonard has fueled the Spurs’ two-game win streak while showing off his considerable wares, too. He’s rebounded better and facilitated better in wins over the Thunder and Sixers without his scoring and defense suffering. His night in and night out consistency (25.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 blocks in his last five games) is truly remarkable.”
Basketball-reference.com has Leonard listed fifth among its MVP candidates Friday morning, trailing Durant, Harden, Steph Curry and LeBron James. Westbrook is sixth.
Leonard’s fast start is clearly changing some of the national thinking about him. But he still will need a fast finish building on what he has accomplished to date in order to burnish his MVP case by the end of the season.
Tgriffin@express-news.net
Twitter: @TimGriffinBig12
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