San Antonio Spurs: 5 reasons Kawhi Leonard will win 2018 NBA MVP

MEMPHIS, TN – APRIL 22: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs pumps his fist after making a three point shot against the Memphis Grizzlies in game four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at FedExForum on April 22, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

2017-18 should be San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard’s year to win the NBA MVP Award.

The NBA MVP voting won’t be for another nine months. The 2017-18 season hasn’t even started, so there’s plenty to happen. That means 82 games are on the way for the best players in the NBA to stand out and earn their way into the MVP voting in the summer. Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs applies to this.

Leonard entered the MVP voting for the first time in his six-year career after the 2016-17 season. He finished third, behind Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder and James Harden of the Houston Rockets. Westbrook won the award.

A new season is on the horizon, however, which means Leonard has another opportunity at the award. If anything, he has a greater chance at winning.

If he captures the award, he’ll join these players from the past 10 years:

2016-17: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
2015-16: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2014-15: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2013-14: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
2012-13: LeBron James, Miami Heat
2011-12: LeBron James, Miami Heat
2010-11: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
2009-10: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
2008-09: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
2007-08: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

It’s an impressive list of superstars to live up to. Most of the list will reach the NBA Hall of Fame, unless Rose’s early production gets him in.

Leonard’s journey toward the 2017-18 MVP Award begins on Wednesday, Oct. 18 when the Spurs face the Minnesota Timberwolves. Let’s fast-forward, though, and look at why he’ll capture the award at season’s end.

Next: Competition

5. Competition

San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard’s competition for the 2018 NBA MVP Award is good on paper. Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, James Harden, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry might all have a case at season’s end. However, all these players are apart of superteams, with multiple superstars playing with them.

If James has a healthy Isaiah Thomas, these two and Kevin Love should become a formidable trio this season. Harden and Paul are playing with each other on the Houston Rockets, so they might cancel each other out. Irving is playing with Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, and a bevy of young talent. Westbrook got Paul George in the offseason. Durant and Curry are part of one of the NBA’s deepest and greatest teams of all time.

Just for who these players are with could take them out of the running for the MVP Award. That’s no guarantee, as they’re all big-name players that can be factored into the conversation. Looking at the 2016-17 MVP Award voting, though, it came down to Leonard, Harden and Westbrook, players that were the best on their respective team.

if that’s the case in 2018, then Leonard should be at the front of the pack. LeBron might be there, too, depending on how the Cleveland Cavaliers look next season.

Next: Standout games

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 26: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a free throw against the Washington Wizards on November 26, 2016 at Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

4. Consistency

To have an MVP season, standout games are needed. Russell Westbrook won for his double-digit totals of triple-doubles, along with his triple-double average, the first player to do this since Oscar Robertson.

For Leonard, getting to these stats can’t be expected. What can be, is consistency.

The Claw isn’t a player that will go for 50-60 points. He likely has that ability, if the Spurs weren’t such an unselfish team (a good thing). That showed in the 2016-17 season, when he had 26 games of 30-plus points. Only one topped 40 (41 against the Cleveland Cavaliers).

3. Potential for career-high stats across the board

In each year of Leonard’s NBA career, his scoring average increased. It started and finished like this:

2011-12: 7.9 points
2012-13: 11.9 points
2013-14: 12.8 points
2014-15: 16.5 points
2015-16: 21.2 points
2016-17: 25.5 points

The last season was when Leonard received the full superstar recognition. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker were the faces of the San Antonio Spurs, but with age, retirement, and injuries hitting these players it allowed the San Diego State product to step into the limelight, even in a subdued fashion like Duncan.

Based on the career trends, why not expect Leonard to increase his scoring average? It’s gone up by at least 3.7 points per season. 25.5 is high, and most star players even struggle to get beyond this number or 26-27. However, as he enters his prime, will that mean a take-off in points, again?

Leonard has the potential for a 27 or 28-point season. As noted, he had 26 30-point games in 2016-17. 58 of the 74 total games he played were for 20-plus points. If he can push the 30-point totals up and eliminate a handful of the games he scored below 20 in, is this 27 or 28 scoring average attainable?

If so, it’s a solid addition to an MVP resume. An increased scoring average can only help, so will it add to his first-place voting tallies?

Next: Wide gap between first and second-best Spurs

SAN ANTONIO,TX – MARCH 15: LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs walk off the court late in game against the Portland Trail Blazers at AT&T Center on March 15, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

2. Wide gap between first and second-best Spurs

On most of these superteams, the difference in talent between one superstar and the other is small or impossible to differentiate. That goes for Paul and Harden in Houston, George and Westbrook in Oklahoma City, Curry and Durant in Golden State, and Irving and Hayward in Boston.

For the San Antonio Spurs, that’s not the case. There’s a distinct difference between Leonard and Aldridge for the No. 1 and 2 players on the team, respectively.

If this was 2015, the gap would be smaller. Aldridge was a top power forward who came off a 23-10 season for the Portland Trail Blazers. On the Spurs, he never topped 19 and 9.

As noted, Leonard’s scoring totals have increased in every season, only making him look like a better player. While this happened, Aldridge’s numbers went down.

As the clear-cut player on a top team, Leonard will get an easier ride toward the 2018 NBA MVP. Especially if his scoring totals increase, again, along with the Spurs reaching the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. That will exceed the expectations, according to ESPN’s projections this summer.

This is just another stepping stone toward Leonard’s MVP case. What’s the top reason for him to win the award, though?

Next: Spurs placement in the standings

SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 27: Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs talks with his team during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 27, 2017 at the AT

1. If the Spurs finish in second in the Western Conference

It’s no coincidence the MVP winners are from the best teams in the NBA. Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant all won when their respective team was one of the best or at the top of the league.

The San Antonio Spurs haven’t had a losing record since the 1996-97 season, so Kawhi Leonard won’t find an issue here. They’ll finish in the top-eight and make the 2018 playoffs, which will be one of the last checkpoints needed toward his MVP resume.

A top-four finish will help, as well. Just cracking the playoffs wouldn’t be enough for Leonard, unless he has a historic season. However, with the consistency and legacy this team built since the 1998-99 season, look for a top-end finish in the Western Conference, potentially between second and fourth.

The No. 2 spot would be ideal for Leonard and the Spurs, falling below the Warriors. It’s above the improved Rockets team, the new-look Thunder, the upstart Timberwolves, and others. With Durant and Curry playing with Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, they won’t win an MVP anytime soon. So if the voting goes toward the No. 2 team in the Western Conference, likely the second-best record in the NBA, then Leonard benefits.

Must Read: 25 forgotten players that were on the Spurs

What are the top reasons Leonard should win the 2018 NBA MVP in June?