The past 10 days have thrust San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard into the MVP conversation alongside James Harden and Russell Westbrook, who are putting up eye-popping per-game stats, and four-time MVP LeBron James.
Leonard's case is a bit different. It relies heavily on his Spurs' finishing with the league's best record -- a win Wednesday would pull them even with the Golden State Warriors for that honor -- and his ability to help San Antonio at both ends of the court.
Just how strong is Leonard's MVP case? Let's test it by considering the validity of three key Leonard storylines.