If Kawhi Leonard Beats the Warriors He Should Be Crowned Best Player in NBA

Calm, collected, and emotionless. That's how Kawhi Leonard functions. However, his playoff heroics have done the opposite. Raptors fans are at the peak of emotion after the team clinched their first-ever NBA Finals appearance.

Kawhi came into the the league unpolished and was thrown onto a contending San Antonio Spurs team. He steadily improved and did not back down when faced off against a prime LeBron James. He earned a championship and Finals MVP for his efforts, but now he has even bigger aspirations.

Back in the Finals again, Kawhi is up against the seemingly unstoppable Warriors dynasty. His elevated skills have presented him an even bigger challenge. And if he's able to overcome it, he'll win more than a championship – he'll be, and should be, the best player in the world.

Durant is officially out for Game 1 of the Finals, and maybe won't be 100 percent healthy, but the Warriors are just as dominant and still remain the best team in the NBA. Remember, this squad achieved greatness without KD and DeMarcus Cousins.

Toppling Golden State isn't a simple task, but Kawhi has made miracles this postseason. From a four-bounce Game 7 walk-off buzzer-beater to dropping 30-point games while defending Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi has easily been the best player in this year's playoffs, especially when you consider how inconsistent his supporting cast has been.

It's possible for Durant come back and continue to dominate or for LeBron James to remind us just how good he is next season. But if Kawhi Leonard does the impossible of ending the Warriors dynastic run by preventing the three-peat, he should undoubtedly be given the title of the best basketball player in the world.