Kawhi Leonard makes all-NBA second team

Kawhi Leonard had his worst game of the season Tuesday — both in magnitude and by Basketball Reference’s game score — but the overall body of his work was rightfully recognized with an all-NBA honor. Leonard made the all-NBA second team for the second consecutive season, earning his fourth all-NBA honor for his career. He previously earned first-team honors in 2016 and 2017.

Leonard led the Clippers to the fourth-best record in the league and the no. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the team’s highest finish in franchise history. He was seventh in the league in ESPN’s real plus-minus, and ninth in scoring with 27.1 points per game. Leonard excelled on both ends of the floor, also averaging 7.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game and earning second-team all-defense honors.

Leonard earned 39 first-team votes and was sixth-place in the balloting, finishing 44 points behind Luka Doncic. The Clippers wing is joined on the second team by Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, and Pascal Siakam. The first team includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Doncic. The third team is made up of Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons, and Russell Westbrook.

This is the first time a Clipper has made the all-NBA team since 2017, when DeAndre Jordan was named to the third team. Leonard is the 16th Clipper to earn such an honor, and the 13th in the past ten years. Paul George was the lone other Clippers to receive votes, earning two second-team votes and one third-team vote.