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Kawhi Leonard is primed for an MVP caliber season. Fresh off of finishing 4th on the KIA MVP ladder last season, Leonard wasted no time duplicating such level of play. Against the heavy favorites, Leonard sported 35 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and an impressive 5 steals on Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors. On the season through 5 games, Leonard is averaging 28.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3 steals.
Opening night, the Warriors had no answer for Leonard all game long. Seeing defenders like Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Andre Iguodala did not slow him down. Leonard backed up his impressive points and steals totals by shooting 48% from the field. It got to the point where all you could do was foul him to try and disrupt momentum. That ensued to no avail, as Leonard gunned an astounding 15-15 free throws.
The reigning, two time Defensive Player of the Year has delivered the goods on both ends of the floor thus far. With rumors and talks of LaMarcus Aldridge unhappy as the second fiddle, Leonard has remained true to his game. Every season since entering the league, Leonard has improved upon almost every statistical category. If he continues on the path he is currently on, he will also be in contention as the scoring champion. Imagine a world where Kawhi Leonard earns a scoring title to go with his 2 DPOY's. That would solidify him as the best 2 way player in the game, if he isn't already.
The NBA this season has a very interesting dynamic. Never before have we seen the existence of so many super teams that control the fate of outcomes. The Spurs front office has done a good job of surrounding Leonard with competent complimentary pieces. Pau Gasol is a major upgrade from Tim Duncan, Dewayne Dedmon is an upgrade from David West, and David Lee fills the void of Boris Diaw to an extent.
Look for Kawhi Leonard to sustain this level of play. Thanks to him, the Spurs will once again, for the twentieth time in 20 years, contend for an NBA championship.