It seems like the drama that surrounded Kawhi Leonard last season didn't hurt how people believe in his abilities. Despite having not seen him play for most of last season, the new Toronto Raptors star is still pegged as a dark horse for the Most Valuable Player award in 2018-19.
Kawhi Leonard opens at 11:1 odds for MVP, 6th in the league. DeRozan at 80:1, Lowry 325:1.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) August 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1029779630817861632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1029779630817861632&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F2791145-2018-19-nba-mvp-odds-lines-for-lebron-james-kevin-durant-lonzo-ball-revealed
Leonard just missed out on the top five, with LeBron James currently the front-runner for the award. Despite rumors that The King will play lesser minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron is the undisputed top player on the list.
While there has been some concern about Leonard's happiness playing in Toronto, the passionate fans from The North had to be relieved when new coach Nick Nurse talked to Dave Feschuk of The Star about his very positive first meeting with his new superstar.
“I sat down and said, ‘Do you have any questions?’ And he started firing them,” Nurse said. “And it just led us to a really easygoing (conversation). Not what I was expecting. Very smart. Very intelligent. Very engaging. Really enjoyed it … (Management) had to drag us out of there in the end because they had to go do something else. But it was great.”
Leonard is definitely still a franchise centerpiece when healthy. He played just nine games last season with the Spurs because of a burdening injury, but his 2016-17 averages of 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game boost his case as one of the best two-way players in the league.
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