Sixers MVP ladder: Is Joel Embiid the early-season favorite?

NBA MVP ladder #4: Kawhi Leonard

After flaming out in the playoffs, doubts about Kawhi Leonard‘s future crept into the discourse. He has silenced those doubts for now, playing MVP-caliber basketball for one of the best teams in the Western Conference. The Clippers look even better than last season, and Leonard continues to bludgeon defenses with his unrivaled scoring arsenal.

Leonard is exceedingly strong and exceedingly skilled. He can punish individual matchups in the post, kill slower defenders on the perimeter, or create efficiently for teammates. His growth as a passer since arriving in LA deserves more recognition — it was his primary weakness in Toronto, and he has largely solved it.

Like Durant, Leonard may also have teammates working against his case for MVP. Paul George, who finished third in MVP voting a couple seasons ago, has made a swift return to form following his embarrassing 2020 postseason. Even so, it’s clear Leonard — who is a top-notch defender, on top of his prolific offensive production — deserves consideration in the early MVP race.

So far, the Klaw is averaging 26.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He’s shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from deep, remarkable efficiency for a player as isolation-centric as Leonard. The Clippers are legit as long as Leonard plays like this.