Southern California’s Kawhi Leonard Wins DPOY

California product Kawhi Leonard has already won championship hardware, and today it was announced via the NBA’s twitter account that the San Antonio Spurs small forward has been named the defensive player of the year.

The announcement comes the morning after a dazzling performance where the Spurs overcame the Clippers in overtime to even up the series 1-1 at the Staples Center.

While he will be recognized before Game 3 at the AT&T Center, the honor also signifies a huge feather in the cap of what might be the most underrated star in the NBA.  The Spurs have the longest tenured trio in the league, but the one carrying the workload is the 23 year old small forward from the Inland Empire.

In last night’s game, Leonard scored 23 points, second only behind Tim Duncan‘s 28 points after playing an astounding 44 minutes.  While Duncan may still be the leader of the of the Spurs, coach Greg Popovich and the organization have stated that they believe Leonard is the future of the franchise.

The Spurs still have five potential games against a very talented Clipper squad before they can begin to plan for the second round, however this summer will be an important one in terms of preparing for the next stage of the franchise.

After this season Leonard will enter restricted free-agency where other teams will be able to offer him a deal that the Spurs will have the option to match.  With a championship, a Finals MVP, and now the defensive player of the year award, Leonard is set to have a very engaging off-season.

At 23 years old, Kawhi Leonard has nothing but upside and untapped potential

Despite being a player with virtually nothing but upside, the Spurs forward remains perhaps the least marketed star in the league.  In a year where more NBA stars than ever were given a promotional push by large companies, Leonard remained nowhere to be seen after his Finals performance.

Stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant remain the gems of the Nike brand, albeit rightly so.  Yet even upcoming stars like Damian Lillard and John Wall have gotten the coveted honor of their own signature shoe from Adidas.

By comparison, Leonard’s fellow Jordan brand athletes Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony remain the main representatives of the company.  They get the exposure of signature shoes, commercials and the like that grow their own personal brands.

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Of course, like all sports it is not always about who has the most points on the scoreboard but also how they are done.

While Leonard is a constant professional and ambassador for himself and the Spurs, he is not as big a personality as the aforementioned players.  When looking at names like Griffin and Anthony, Leonard also has the drawback of playing in a much smaller market.

While such factors have not affected a player like say, Russell Westbrook, from expanding their own brand, it is clear that Leonard does not push himself the same way.

With teams such as the Lakers in rebuilding, there is a chance that Leonard will evaluate his options this summer.

That said, the Spurs are unlikely to let Leonard go with rumors that Tim Duncan is seemingly about to retire after every season only to come back the next year.  The injured Tony Parker, for all his age defying brilliance, is not getting any younger and the same goes for Manu Ginobli.

The age jokes aside, the Spurs know that their big three is much closer to the end of their run rather than the beginning and that they need a piece to build around for a secure future.  Kawhi Leonard is exactly that.

Whether or not it was simply the polite and correct thing to say at the time, Leonard has said that he wants to be a Spur for his entire career.  He undoubtedly knows how important he is to the organization and all of the benefits that he has with his current team.

Yet like all players, he must make the decision that he feels is most right for himself.  The chance to be a star for a team like the Lakers may not come around again.

Neither will being the centerpiece of a marvelous organization such as the Spurs, who have proven as of late to be superior in extending the longevity of their time in the elite than the purple and gold recently.

Note: Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors came in second place.  DeAndre Jordan of the LA Clippers came in third.