Kawhi Leonard is back in the All-NBA conversation, even after the Los Angeles Clippers’ rough start to the season.
Speaking on the Bill Simmons Podcast, NBA analyst Zach Lowe named Leonard as a second-team All-NBA selection.
Lowe and Simmons first mentioned obvious candidates like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic before turning to other options.
Lowe chose Leonard despite the Clippers opening the year with a 6-21 record.
Leonard is averaging 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists this season while posting a true shooting percentage of 61.9.
His strong play has contributed to a turnaround in Los Angeles after a slow first eight weeks.
From the season opener through December 18, Leonard played in 17 of 27 games as the Clippers went 4–13.
During that stretch, he had several low-scoring performances, including 10 points against Utah and a seven-of-21 performance against Atlanta.
Since then, Leonard has been more consistent and has gotten the Clippers back into the playoffs.
