Kawhi Leonard Named Best Player Over Giannis, Harden in NBA Coaches Poll by ESPN
Kawhi Leonard carried the Raptors to their first title in franchise history in June and the newly-signed Clippers forward is reaping the rewards this offseason.
The two-time Finals MVP was named the best player in the NBA in a recent poll of coaches and league executives, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. Leonard earned 12 of the 20 first-place votes, double the total received by reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. James Harden received two votes.
Leonard earned a double dose of praise in Wednesday's poll. The Clippers were picked to win the Finals by 13 of the 20 voters, the only team with more than two votes.
"If you can get to the end of the season with those two guys [Leonard and Paul George] on the court, with the guards they have and some solid vets coming off the bench, they do it," an Eastern Conference executive told Bontemps.
The Bucks and Sixers were predicted to be the 2020 champs by two voters, while the Jazz, Nuggets and Rockets each received one vote.
Leonard averaged 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in the 2019 postseason. He is one of three players in NBA history to win Finals MVP with multiple teams. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James are the other stars with the feat.
