Any NBA MVP conversation has to begin with four-time awardee LeBron James….except this one. Sure, King James I (the 1st) is having a wonderful season, but frankly, In the Clutch is tired of seeing James walk away with the hardware. Besides, while his averages of 26 points, 7.6 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game are impressive, he is no longer the undisputed best player in the game. Unless James goes on a superhuman tear to close out the season, he’s not on my MVP radar. Who is? I’m glad you asked.
This year’s MVP race features a talented trio of star guards. The three-headed MVP monster includes Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Each week the prolific playmakers attempt to outdo each other on the big stage. All three stars have the credentials, but only one can rise to the top. Which player will it be? That’s as impossible to guess as the New York Knicks next championship.
If we’re picking favorites, the front runner at this time is “Chef” Curry. Some might state the All-Star Game’s leading vote getting is having a breakout season, but truth be told, Curry has been balling out of control the past few years. The difference this year is that the team has the best record in the NBA. Curry and his “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson are wreaking havoc on opposing backcourts. Some believe both Golden State guards should be considered for candidacy, however Curry is outperforming his teammate in points, rebounds, assists and steals. That proves he’s the clear alpha dog for the Warriors.
Of course numbers don’t tell the whole story. Curry stands out with his signature performance in the Three-Point Contest on All-Star weekend. He overtook James as the leading vote getter for the All-Star game this season. “Chef” is the perfect nickname of Curry as he cooks the competition on a regular basis. Much ballyhoo has been made of the season Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kyle Korver is having behind the arc. He deserves the praise, but survey 100 people and ask which sharp shooter they’d rather have on their team. If anybody says Korver, end your friendship immediately. They are not to be trusted. Curry has also seen the launch of his own popular signature shoe, gotten love on the national endorsement scene and has become a staple on SportsCenter for his sick ball handling tricks and ohmyGoddidhejustdothat-inducing shots. In other words, it just seems like it’s his year.
The number two guy (for now) is Harden. The bearded basketball savant led the league in scoring for most of the season. His averages of 27.1 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game are all the more impressive when you take into account he also has another All-Star on his team in Dwight Howard. While Howard has been in and out of the lineup with injuries, Harden has been a model of consistency. Of the three candidates, he’s by far the most irreplaceable player. Take Harden out of the Rockets’ lineup and you’d likely have a team barely fighting for a playoff position. With him, they’re currently the #3 seed in the stacked Western Conference. Harden gets to the line like none other. He’s the only player in the league with more than 500 free throws made. No one else has reached 400. That stat alone shows that Harden is fearless in going to the basket. His finishes are often spectacular and highlight worthy. The former Oklahoma City sixth man is now the undisputed top dog in Houston and making a strong case to follow his former teammate (Kevin Durant) as league MVP.
Speaking of Durant, he is rarely mentioned without Westbrook. Whereas Durant’s on-court BFF has historically been mentioned as a sidekick, he has now kicked down the doors and stands on his own two feet. Despite an extended early-season injury and numerous injuries by Durant, Westbrook has come on like gangbusters since his 41 point All-Star MVP performance. Westbrook added his name to the MVP mix in style by posting four straight triple doubles and five out of six.
Westbrook has almost single-handedly pull the injury-plagued Thunder out of the doldrums and into playoff position. He is the only man in the league who gets to the foul line nearly as much as Harden. He sits at the number two spot in free throws made and attempted despite missing 15 games due to injury. Westbrook recently overtook Harden in the race to the scoring title and averages 27.4 points, 8.3 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game. Like Curry and Harden, Westbrook leads his team in both scoring and assists. Of the three, he is probably the most-feared guard in the league due to his relentless and attacking style. He’s Mike Tyson on the basketball court, bludgeoning opposing players into submission.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens in/when Durant is healthy enough to rejoin the lineup. It’s possible that last year’s MVP could come back and prevent Westbrook from being this season’s MVP. Either way, if the Thunder holds on to its playoff position, Westbrook is going to be a problem.
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