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Kawhi Leonard is one of the top players in the NBA today, but he didn't enter the league with the same expectations as a LeBron James or a Kevin Durant did. The LA Clippers star has made massive adjustments to his game and developed his overall skills to be renowned as one of the best two players in the NBA.
A two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Leonard has certainly made a giant leap in becoming a tier-one player. The regular-season MVP award has still eluded the 'Klaw', though. But is the failure to win the highest individual honor really something that could diminish his legacy?
Taking a look at Kawhi Leonard's NBA career so far
Kawhi Leonard was selected 15th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2011 NBA draft. He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs on the same night.
Leonard's scouting report listed him as an elite defensive player. When it came to his skills in offense, league scouts suggested he would need to make major improvements to his game.
Leonard took some time to get going at the offensive end, but was every bit as solid as he was expected to be at the defensive end. The Spurs were one of the top teams in the league during his first few seasons in the NBA. They had a core comprising Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
Kawhi Leonard had a steady start to his career, as he averaged 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game during his rookie career, starting 39 of the 64 regular-season games he played. He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting, and was named to the All-Rookie first team.
Leonard reached the NBA Finals in his sophomore season. The San Antonio Spurs, though, lost a dramatic seven-game series against LeBron James and the Miami Heat. That was despite the Klaw averaging an impressive 14.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in his debut Finals series.
Kawhi Leonard has shown signs of improvement in his overall game throughout his career with each passing season. He ended up playing in his second NBA Finals in his third season in the NBA, doing so during the 2013-14 campaign. This time, the Spurs beat the Heat in five games in a rematch of the previous season's Finals series, with Leonard winning the NBA Finals MVP award, averaging 17.8 points per game.
This championship win was pivotal in helping Kawhi Leonard reach the heights he would scale. In the next two seasons, Leonard achieved multiple individual accolades as he was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016, and received All-Star honors as well. He elevated his offensive game during that stretch, which saw him become one of the best two-way players in the league.
In the 2017-18 season, though, Leonard endured an injury-hit campaign. According to several reports, the player and the San Antonio Spurs had several conflicts regarding the player's injury rehab. Issues between the two parties led to his eventual departure from Spurs, and he was traded to the Toronto Raptors. Leonard only played nine games in the 2017-18 season, his last with the Spurs.
The 2018-19 NBA campaign saw Kawhi Leonard become one of the best players in the league. Coming off an injury-riddled season, there were concerns about Leonard's ability to deliver at a high level for the Raptors. However, he ended up producing a career-best season, averaging 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds. 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
He led the Raptors to a 58-24 record as the franchise finished second in the Eastern Conference. Kawhi Leonard then produced one of the greatest playoff campaigns by a player, averaging 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game (24 games).
Thanks to Leonard's exploits, the Raptors reached the NBA Finals as the player won his second title in his only season with Toronto. Leonard was named the NBA Finals MVP once again as the Raptors defeated the mighty Golden State Warriors in six games. He entered the 2019 NBA free agency as one of the most coveted prospects.
After multiple reports linked Kawhi Leonard to a return to his hometown of LA, the two-time Finals MVP ended up choosing the LA Clippers over the LA Lakers. He has been with the franchise for two seasons now, but is yet to win his third chip.
Leonard endured a difficult first campaign with the Clippers. They were widely expected to reach the NBA Finals that season, but didn't even reach the Conference Finals after squandering a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets in the semis.
Kawhi Leonard's second season with the LA Clippers could have had a much better ending if not for injuries plaguing him again. The Clippers crashed out of the 2021 NBA Playoffs after Leonard missed the eight final games of the postseason. Leonard had a great run before his injury, though, averaging 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Kawhi Leonard's injury was diagnosed as a partial ACL tear, which will see him miss most of the next season. He could return just before the playoffs, though.
Has Kawhi Leonard come close to winning the regular-season MVP award?
Kawhi Leonard came closest to winning the regular-season MVP award during the 2015-16 NBA campaign. He finished second in the voting behind unanimously voted MVP winner Stephen Curry.
Leonard was a beast at the defensive end, and had made massive leaps in his offensive game as well in that NBA campaign. He averaged 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and a block per game. He won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award that year.
In the next campaign, he was third in the MVP voting, finishing behind James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Both Harden and Westbrook had record-breaking campaigns in 2016-17. After that, injury issues massively hurt Kawhi Leonard's chances of winning the award, as he has missed 120 regular-season games since then.
Leonard's latest injury has once again raised concerns about his injury-plagued career. He wasn't healthy enough to play back-to-back campaigns, and is now 30, so he has a very small timeline to win the coveted MVP award. Multiple players have improved drastically at that age, but it seems unlikely Leonard would come close to winning the MVP award.
The narrative for the MVP award seems to change every year. But offensive production continues to be a key aspect. It is something that has always been considered in any potential MVP conversation.
Kawhi Leonard has surely improved at that end, but the way his team needs him to deliver at both ends, it will be difficult for him to produce the kind of offensive numbers other MVP candidates have been producing over the last few seasons.
He averaged 24.7 points per game last season, playing 52 of 72 games for the Clippers. It remains to be seen how his body will react to another injury setback once he returns after his partial ACL tear last season. And that would determine his chances of winning the MVP award.
Would the absence of an MVP award diminish Kawhi Leonard's legacy?
Despite Kawhi Leonard not winning the MVP award throughout his career so far, very few have doubts about Leonard being one of the best players in the league. The recent free agency market is a great testament to that. Leonard was coveted by teams like the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks before he opted to re-sign with the LA Clippers on a four-year deal.
It's important to take note that all these teams know about his injury issues, but were still willing to bring him on board because of his ability to deliver championships. Leonard is one of those players who plays with great efficiency, which makes him an elite performer come playoff time.
He has proved that with the San Antonio Spurs and th4 Toronto Raptors in the past, and was close to doing it with the LA Clippers last season, if not for his season-ending injury.
Eventually, the ability of a player to help his team to come good in crunch situations and win championships plays a huge role in his legacy. Having won two championships and the Finals MVP award in both the series, it speaks volumes of how impactful a player Kawhi Leonard has been for his teams over the years.
Thus, Kawhi Leonard's legacy is unlikely to diminish if he doesn't end up winning the regular-season MVP award.
