Top 10 Best NBA Players Right Now

#3 Kawhi Leonard

San Antonio Spurs v Memphis Grizzlies - Game Four

Unlike most other sportswriters, I am willing to give Kawhi the benefit of doubt. Over the course of the first 6 years of his career, he has earned that amount of respect. The Klaw is the best perimeter defender since the turn of this century, rivaling or even surpassing the prowess attained by the Black Mamba on that end of the floor. 2 Defensive Player of the Year titles should suffice for it.

On offense, he improved his scoring every single season for 5 straight years, and being liberated from a Spurs offense that affords touches to every player, he could logically end up posting career highs as a scorer and a playmaker - one particular skill that he's worked on for a great deal in the past couple of years.

Simply put, Kawhi is the man for the job in clutch periods at his best - he can get you defensive stops on one end of the floor by locking up the likes of LeBron James (as he did in the 2014 Finals) or Kevin Durant (2014 Western Conference Finals), while nailing the game-winning fadeaway jumpshot over them on the other end. He is truly a player valuable way beyond the ordinary and advanced statistics.