5 reasons Kawhi Leonard will be the next NBA MVP
By Tom West
2. Leonard is already the best defender in the game
The discussion for Defensive Player of the Year came down to Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green this season. Between the undisputed top perimeter defender in the league and the most versatile defender in the league, it was certainly a difficult discussion to have.
Leonard’s stifling presence outside and claws that gather steals like a hungry child picks up candy led the Spurs to become one of the best defenses we’ve seen in years. Meanwhile, Green emphasized himself as the backbone of the Warriors (still 4th in defensive efficiency), with the kind of outside quickness and uncanny ability to cover centers in the post that simply shouldn’t be so easy for someone who’s only 6’7″.
Nevertheless, that versatility and impact aside, there’s no question Leonard is the best perimeter defender in the game and can bother the NBA’s top scorers in ways that no one else can. For that reason, and for doing so for a historically dominant defensive Spurs team, he became the Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
If Leonard is already this deadly, there’s no reason he doesn’t have another good shot at winning the award for the third straight time next season. And if he can do that, his case as the overall MVP gets a whole lot stronger when you add it to his offensive game which is bound to take another step forward, too.
This season, beyond the simple eye test of watching just how much he swarms opponents with his long arms, quick shifting lateral speed and ginormous hands, Leonard forced opponents to shoot an entire 5.6 percent lower than their average (per NBA.com), and made opposing teams score 4.6 less points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
Get ready for more of the same to garner plenty of MVP votes in 2016-17.
Next: 1. As the original Spurs age, Leonard can take over more