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NBA Power Rankings: Spurs on top? Kawhi not

By Brandon Jefferson

Mar 4, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives to the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio (9) defends during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives to the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio (9) defends during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 3, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) passes the ball as New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) defends during overtime of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Spurs defeated the Pelicans 101-98 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) passes the ball as New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) defends during overtime of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Spurs defeated the Pelicans 101-98 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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San Antonio Spurs 52-15

Last week: 7-2
Last rank: 2nd

Once again Gregg Popovich has pulled a fast one on us all. He let the whole world get caught up in the Warriors and Cavaliers guaranteed rematch hoopla. Then said nothing as they fawned over Russell Westbrook triple-doubles. He remained quiet as the “Seven Second or Less” Suns were brought back to life in Houston by Mike D’Antoni. All the while he was turning David Lee into a quality rotation player, making Dewayne Dedmon into a starting center, getting Pau Gasol to shoot threes, letting Patty Mills be Patty Mills, and ultimately watching Kawhi Leonard become the best two-way player since peak Kobe Bryant. Yet it went largely unnoticed or unmentioned by the media until just recently when the Spurs beat the Warriors by 20-plus for the second time this season and usurped them in the standings. Since that game, Golden State has reclaimed the top spot, but San Antonio now holds the tiebreaker between the two teams. If the Spurs end the year with the best record in the league then all that stuff I said before about Harden being the MVP is null and void.

Next: NBA Award Watch: Nikola Jokic is moving mountains

If San Antonio gets the top seed in the Western Conference the NBA should hand Kawhi Leonard the MVP trophy that very day. No one ever expected another team to end the season with a better record than the Warriors –they were talking about whether or not Golden State would beat the 73-9 record they set a year ago for goodness sakes. San Antonio could steal the Warriors and Cavaliers thunder this year, and it would be such a Popovich thing to do too. With LaMarcus Aldridge cleared to play again this team is right on level with Cleveland and Golden State as one of the best teams in the league.

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