3. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
The 2013 NBA Finals was Kawhi Leonard’s breakout series. The 2014 NBA Finals was his track to superstardom. The 2015 Defensive Player of the Year award only enhanced the excitement around the small forward.
And he’s never even appeared in an All-Star game. Perhaps that’s the next domino to fall in Leonard’s promising young career, which featured a career-best season last year. He tallied personal highs with 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks, as well as a 22.0 player efficiency rating and league-leading 96.4 defensive rating.
San Antonio signed LaMarcus Aldridge, but the addition should only help Leonard, who won’t be forced into occupying a larger scoring role. Leonard is already an elite defender, and he’s growing as an offensive player. For the rest of the league, the 24-year-old’s potential should be a little scary.