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NBA Award Watch: Nikola Jokic is moving mountains

By John Buhler

March 10, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) looks on during the first half against the Boston Celtics at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
March 10, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) looks on during the first half against the Boston Celtics at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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It is the middle of March in the 2016-17 NBA season. Let’s take a look at who the front-runners are for the major six awards in this week’s NBA Award Watch.

The NBA is getting ever closer to the home stretch. Teams are beginning to lock up playoff spots, while others are getting ready to enter the NBA Draft Lottery. Some organizations are gearing up for May and June basketball, while some clubs are eagerly awaiting which top prospects will sign in the NCAA Tournament.

As every team in the NBA has roughly 15 games left, let’s take a look at who are the front-runners for the six major awards. Here is this week’s NBA Award Watch.

DraftKings
Mar 13, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) holds the ball while defended by Atlanta Hawks small forward Kent Bazemore (24) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Valuable Player: Kawhi Leonard

NBA MVP is quickly becoming a four-man race. This race is going to go down to the wire between Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James, San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard and Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook.

For the second straight week, this award will end up going to Leonard. He may not have humiliated Harden in crunch-time like he did last week, but Leonard is asserting himself as the best player on possibly the best team in basketball.

He is a two-way player and his Spurs are poised to land the top-seed in the Western Conference Playoffs over the Golden State Warriors. Leonard is second in the NBA in PER (28.1), second in Win Shares (11.3), fifth in Value Over Replacement Player (5.0) and seventh in Box Plus-Minus (8.0).

Despite losing Tim Duncan to retirement after last season, the Spurs haven’t skipped a beat as a Western Conference juggernaut. If San Antonio wins well over 60 games and clinches the top seed in the West, it will be really hard to not give the NBA MVP to Leonard.

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