Kawhi Leonard sets sights on All-Star nomination, MVP award

In the span of four seasons, San Antonio Spurs swingman Kawhi Leonard has racked up quite a bit of silverware.

Leonard, who signed a maximum contract this summer, has an NBA title, a finals MVP, and the 2015 Defensive Player of the Year award to his name.

But the 24-year-old isn't quite satisfied with his accomplishments, explaining to David Zink of the Press Enterprise that he wants to add more honors to his already sparkling resume.

"I want to be an (NBA) all-star and MVP of the regular season," said Leonard. "I'm trying to be one of the greatest players so whatever level that consists of is where I want to take my game."

Securing an All-Star selection should be fairly attainable for Leonard.

An eye injury put a damper on the start of his season, but he went on to finish with robust averages of 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and a league-best 2.3 steals in 31.8 minutes per game. He showed improvements across the board, especially on offense, refining his pull-up game and strengthening his ability to create offense off the bounce.

If Leonard can bump his scoring up closer to 20 points per game, he'd likely be a shoo-in for the All-Star Game.

Winning the MVP, however, will be far more difficult, especially while operating within the tight confines of the Spurs' team-first system. Not since Tim Duncan's prime has Gregg Popovich placed the offense solely on one player's shoulders, and without shiny box-score totals, Leonard is unlikely to be named the league's most valuable player.

As noted by Eye on Basketball's Zach Harper, the scoring column is especially important. There has only been one MVP award winner - Steve Nash in 2005 and 2006 - who has averaged less than 20 points per game since 1978.

However, if Leonard does manage to increase his scoring output, while maintaining his status as the best defender in the league, there just might be some votes coming his way.