NBA Player Power Rankings: Damian Lillard for MVP?

Feb 23, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Brooklyn Nets 112-104 at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Lillard finished the game with 34 points. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

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Feb 24, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives in against Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay (8) during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Sacramento Kings 108-92. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Last Rank: No. 5

Position: Small Forward

Age: 24

Slash Line: .506/.480/.878

Season Averages: 32.4 MPG, 20.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 1.8 3PM

Never before has a 3.5-game deficit in the standings been so daunting. That’s the uphill battle that the San Antonio Spurs are attempting to endure, as the Golden State Warriors sit an attainable, but seemingly impossible, 3.5 games ahead in the standings.

Should the Spurs close the gap and secure the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and thus, the NBA, Kawhi Leonard would have a compelling case for MVP.

A calf injury kept Leonard sidelined for the Spurs’ first three games after the 2016 NBA All-Star Break. He posted 18 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and a block in his return, but that isn’t why he’s been the No. 5 player in the Association.

Along with being the most dominant defensive force in the NBA, Leonard is now the centerpiece of the Spurs’ vaunted motion offense.

Leonard has been the catalyst on defense, as everyone knows, which makes the Spurs’ distant No. 1 ranking in defensive efficiency so impressive. He’s also the focal point of San Antonio’s offense, which ranks No. 3 in the NBA in points per 100 possessions.

In terms of a two-way impact, very few players compare to what Leonard has done in 2015-16.

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