#6 Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers
2020-21 Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.6 STL, 51.2 FG%, 39.8 3P%
Normally ranked a Top-3 small-forward in the league, Kawhi Leonard finds himself ranked 6th overall on this list solely because he is currently recovering from offseason ACL surgery. In the Western Conference Semifinals, Kawhi Leonard suffered a mysterious right knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the Clippers playoff games.
The team would not say what was wrong and Leonard himself downplayed the injury, but it was later revealed that the 2x Finals MVP had suffered a partially torn ACL and would require surgery.
No timetable has been laid out for Leonard’s potential return yet, but after undergoing surgery in July, it is hard to imagine that the 5x All-Star would return before 2022. Without him, the Clippers will definitely struggle to begin the season, but they still have Paul George, who we will talk about shortly.
When healthy, Kawhi Leonard may just be the best two-way wing in the league and can single-handedly carry a team deep into the playoffs. Who knows when he will be back, but when Kawhi Leonard takes the court again for the Clippers, he will immediately give this team a jolt of energy and production that could result in them making it back to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in their team’s history.
#5 Jimmy Butler – Miami Heat
2020-21 Stats: 21.5 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 7.1 APG, 2.1 STL, 49.7 FG%, 24.5 3P%
One of the more underrated players in the league is Jimmy Butler. All the time, people try to downplay Butler’s value to his team and how good of a player he is, but time and time again, the 5x All-Star has proven to be a winner. He won with Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and now, in two seasons with the Heat, Jimmy Butler has helped this team become a true championship contender again.
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In 10 NBA seasons, Butler has missed the playoffs just once and while Miami had a disappointing year last season, Jimmy Butler had one of the best all-around years of his career. He led the league in steals per game (2.1) and averaged career-highs in rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage, which is why the 32-year-old wing finds himself ranked 5th on this list heading into the 2021-22 season.
Say what you want about his character and his value to the Miami Heat, but Jimmy Butler has consistently proven to be one of the more valuable assets in the league and will once again be a major factor in the Heat’s success.
