Coincidentally, the 2026 All-Star Game will be held on Sunday at the Intuit Dome, home of the LA Clippers and, by extension, currently home to the best all-around players in the league.

Is that a bit too extravagant? Now, consider that Kawhi Leonard was growing at a rapid rate before losing two of his best teammates. And even more impressively, rear To lose them. This is a loud statement from a player known for being quiet and reserved.

Leonard will be in the Kia race for MVP after his best fourth-quarter takeover against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Leonard was great down the stretch against a defense that was focused only on himself. He dazzled Houston with his amazing shot-making and scored 19 points, including the game-winning goal with one second left.

He became healthier and was finally no longer bound by minute limits. We’ve never seen Leonard this good for so long…well, in a long time. Even with his health uncertain, Leonard showed he is a rare talent and belongs in the upper class of stars.

“Having no minutes restriction and being able to play 38 to 40 minutes a night gives him a real opportunity offensively every night,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said. “And defensively, we know what he can do.”

Leonard averaged 29.8 ppg in December, 27.5 ppg in January, and 28.9 ppg in February. He also had 12 rebounds and four steals in the game against the Rockets.

The Clippers traded James Harden 10 days ago and traded Ivica Zubac last Thursday. Still, the Clippers won three of their next four games thanks to Leonard’s frequent outbursts. He had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in those four games against the Kings, posting a 41-8-2 mark against Minnesota and a 51-20-7 mark against Houston.

He currently has no All-Star teammates (excluding Sunday’s All-Star Game), while the Clippers’ second-leading scorer, John Collins, is averaging less than 14 points. Additionally, the remade Clippers play in the rugged West, making for an unforgiving schedule most nights.

They are still below .500 this season and are fighting to remain in the SoFi Play-In Tournament. That means Leonard won’t win MVP and will be lucky to make the playoffs or finish the season with a winning record.

But for now, he’s well suited for the MVP ladder, checking in at No. 10.

This week’s setting: The league will be in limbo for almost a week. When the Detroit Pistons resume their game after the hiatus, the spotlight will be on two ladder guards, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson, when they take on the New York Knicks. Cade & Co. is 2-0 head-to-head, but will be without suspended Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart for this game. Cunningham will need an even better performance to improve to 3-0. Brunson is the only NBA player to have multiple 40-point games this month.

Statistics you should know: Another example of Leonard’s recent underwhelming performance: He has scored 20 or more points in 33 consecutive games. He also led all players in total points this month, averaging 30 points per game in February.

What they are saying: “Yeah, I mean, that’s cute. When the game is on the line, you know where the ball is going to go. And tonight, he got us home…you just look at that and you see what kind of player he is.” Clippers coach Ty Lue talked about Leonard’s finish against the Rockets.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week’s ranking: 1st place ↔️
Season statistics: 31.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists

In his case: The good news is that he’s still second in efficient scoring and shooting, and is the unquestioned leader of the top seeds in the West, who often do it without key pieces along the way (Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, etc.).

But right now, Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the missing pieces, having missed the last five games with an abdominal injury. He will be retested after the holidays and will be tested once the season resumes. If he returns, the MVP race will be pretty intense, even if only because the competition has rebounded and gotten hotter.

2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: 3rd place ⬆️
Season statistics: 28.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.7 assists

In his case: When he missed nearly a month with an injury, several MVP candidates took advantage. Now, Jokic is returning the favor with Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic dealing with injury absences. Before his injury, Jokic was leading the ladder by a significant margin.

But he and the Nuggets haven’t been that sharp since his return. Jokic’s 3-point shots are misfired, and his defense is a step behind as he tries to regain his timing. Still, the recent schedule has been tough (Pistons, OKC, Knicks, Cleveland). Jokic’s chances of returning to No. 1 depend on Denver winning regularly, which the Nuggets have a good chance of doing once Aaron Gordon returns.

3. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

Last week’s ranking: 2nd place ⬇️
Season statistics: 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists

In his case: The league’s leading scorer is always enjoying his best seasons, and no matter who he plays against, he sometimes shows overwhelming strength. Doncic has had MVP chances before, but this is by far his strongest effort yet.

However, he missed four consecutive games due to a hamstring problem. Inactivity late in the season against a strong MVP field could be costly. Doncic remains in the top three on the ladder and should be back in the lineup next week when the Lakers face the Clippers and Leonard.

4. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Last week’s ranking: 4th place ↔️
Season statistics: 25.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.6 assists

In his case: Cunningham and the Pistons continued their stronghold in the East with recent impressive wins. He held off the rushing Charlotte Hornets with a 33-9-7 record, then fended off the Toronto Raptors with a 28-7-9 record (the latter happened while Detroit was short-handed due to the suspension of several teammates).

And now? The Pistons enter the All-Star break virtually even with Oklahoma City, a team that was circling the league a few months ago. So Cunningham (second in assists) not only has the performance to back up his candidacy, but he’s also the best player on one of the best teams.

5. Victor Wembaneyama, San Antonio Spurs

Last week’s ranking: 5th place ↔️
Season statistics: 24.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks

In his case: He was one of the top scorers in February, averaging 26.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks this month. Overall, he will average less than 30 minutes per game in 2025-26, likely making him the highest-performing player per minute in the NBA.

When Wenbanyama dropped 40 points against the Lakers last week (in just 26 minutes!), it was his second 40 point game this season and the sixth time in his career, one more than Tim Duncan. Oh yeah, Wenbanyama has been played 1,235 times few Game from Duncan.

Next 5:

6. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics ↔️
7. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers ↔️
8. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves ↔️
9. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks ↔️
10. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers ⬆️

And five more (listed alphabetically): Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers. Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets.

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Sean Powell has been covering the NBA since 1985. You can send him an email. spowell@nba.cometerssearch His archive can be found here and Follow him on X.