Clippers' star should be MVP candidate

No NBA team is playing better than the Los Angeles Clippers, and no player is contributing more to their effort than forward Kawhi Leonard. The 12-year veteran is playing some of the best basketball of his career but still finds himself largely left out of the Most Valuable Player conversation. 

Leonard is averaging 24.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists and could become the 10th player in NBA history to join the elite 50-40-90 club — shooting over 50 percent from the field, over 40 percent on three-pointers and over 90 percent from the free-throw line in a season. Leonard is shooting 53.1 from the field, 45.6 percent on threes and 88.7 percent from the free-throw line. 

More importantly, the Clippers are 34-16 and just a half-game out of first in the Western Conference standings heading into Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons and are 16-4 over their past 20 games. 

Leonard, who is already a two-time NBA Finals MVP and two-time NBA champion, is a long shot to win MVP, per FanDuel. Denver Nuggets center and two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic is the current betting favorite. 

On Monday's edition of "Undisputed" on Fox Sports, host Skip Bayless said Leonard has positioned himself to make a run at MVP.

"Kawhi is the driving force of the Clippers," Bayless said. "And this team will go as far as Kawhi takes them." 

Leonard's own injury history almost assuredly plays against him when it comes to regular-season awards. The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year has missed 142 games over the past three seasons, including the entire 2021-22 season with an ACL injury. So far this season, he's only missed four games. 

Leonard has come close to winning the NBA MVP in the past, finishing in the top five three times, including a runner-up finish in 2016.