On 'The Zach Lowe Show,’ host Zach Lowe, one of the most well-known names in sports media, shared that Kawhi Leonard, who just earned his seventh all-star selection, has been the best player in the NBA since Thanksgiving. Fans of the LA Clippers have known this and have been on an island defending it with all of their might, until now, as the world is catching on.
Lowe’s agenda on Leonard is being pushed by his averages of 28.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals, shooting 49.5% from the field, 38.9% from beyond the arc, and 91.4% from the charity stripe.
Thus, when combining the fact that Leonard has been elite on both sides of the ball, and his numbers are not empty stats as the Clippers are winning, there are no flaws in Lowe’s take on the face of LA’s franchise.
Kawhi Leonard has arguably been the best player in the league this season
Kawhi Leonard has taken the concept of dominating his competition this season to a level beyond imagination. He is pulling out 30-point and 40-point performances out of his back pocket, and seems more determined than ever to carry the LA Clippers to the postseason.
Furthermore, Leonard’s game has been pure and simple. Defenses know that he is either going to maximize the mid-range, as he has been for years, step back from three, or put his head down and aggressively pursue the cup for a finish.
And, you know what? There is no stopping it. The Minnesota Timberwolves, with a prominent coverage scheme under Chris Finch that has the sixth-best defensive rating in the league, got 41 points scored on them by Leonard.
Finch tried throwing everything he could at Leonard to even try to contain him, like Jaden McDaniels on the perimeter and Rudy Gobert in the paint, but none of it aged well. The two-time champion seemed adamant on not leaving Minnesota without victory.
Additionally, Leonard has scored over 20 points in 31 games. This is the second-best streak in the league behind the former Clipper and reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
That said, there is certainly an argument for who has been the best in the NBA this season, yet leaving Leonard’s name out of the discussion is a mistake. In fact, he deserves to be at the top, and there are so many ways on both sides of the ball that could prove it.