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Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard’s load management MVP case

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers runs upcourt during the first half of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center on October 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers runs upcourt during the first half of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center on October 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers have garnered criticism for Leonard’s load management, which may or may not keep him from being the MVP.

The Los Angeles Clippers landed who many have donned the best player in the NBA over summer in Kawhi Leonard, instantly making them a contender for the NBA Championship alongside a great supporting cast and Paul George.

With Leonard the team didn’t just get a superstar that puts them into contention, they also got a player who is seemingly ahead of the curve with load management and the scrutiny that comes with it.

This was no secret prior to the year: Kawhi Leonard only played 60 games last year with the Toronto Raptors due to load management and looked visibly shaken up during the NBA Finals.

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Leonard lost a lot of his stock at the end of his San Antonio Spurs tenure, where he refused to play for an entire season as he felt that the Spurs were misdiagnosing his injury.

Despite all of his talent, this is a player with known health concerns that have adopted this new load management strategy to help ease those hiccups. Leonard is sitting his second game with load management on Wednesday, ruining an anticipated matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo, which has garnered criticism from NBA purists.

Personally, I find no fault with Leonard adopting this strategy. Even if the Clippers lose all 20 games that Leonard sits (if that is the number) then they will still be a 48-52 win team. With George eventually back in the fold, it is hard to see the Clippers going any worse than .500.

That’ll be fine. The Toronto Raptors finished with 58 wins last season and are not as deep as the Clippers.

The one area that it really hurts Leonard is personally in the MVP race. The MVP award is the one thing that has alluded Leonard’s career thus far and would be the one thing to put him over the top and put him alongside the all-time greats with his legacy.

He has a lot of time to get the award, but if he continues this load management trend, he may never do it. However, this year actually presents an opportunity for Leonard to win the award, but he is going to need some external help.

History shows that someone who misses 20 games will not win the MVP. Since 2000, the most games that an MVP has missed is 11 and that came in the 2000-2001 season with Allen Iverson. However, Antetokounmpo and James Harden both missed 10 games the last two seasons.

But if Leonard is that good (and that is what it is going to take), then maybe that number does not matter. Right now, Leonard is averaging 29.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor.

The only player to ever average 29 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and shoot 47 percent or better from the field was Michael Jordan in 1988. He finished second in MVP voting to Magic Johnson.

Johnson had a good year and played on the powerhouse Lakers, which made the difference. This is where the external help needs to come in for Leonard.

Leonard needs the Los Angeles Clippers to be one of the three best teams in the league, which seems to be a given, while also needing there to be weak competition in the award, which we could definitely make the case for.

The hope here is that LeBron James and Anthony Davis even each other out over the course of the entire year where it is hard to vote for either guy as they had a similar impact. The same can be said for James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are out, so that eliminates that competition. Outside of that, there really are not many MVP suitors, unless someone else takes a massive leap.

The one person that stands out is the player that Leonard was set to match up against this year, and last year’s MVP winner, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Next. Predicting the Clippers' regular season record. dark

The problem there is that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been having an insane season yet again. So the Leonard, and the Los Angeles Clippers, better hope he cools down.

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