The NBA MVP Race so far this season has surprisingly been much more competitive than most people expected prior to opening night. Due to many players having career years, a lot of these guys have put their teams on their backs.
I’m going to breakdown my current MVP rankings a little bit differently. On top of putting them in order, I also separated the players into tiers.
First Tier
James Harden:
If I had to give out the MVP Award right now, it would be James Harden without a doubt. Having Harden take over the point guard role for Houston was a tremendous move by Mike D’Antoni. Without taking a dip in his scoring average, he’s contributed four more assists per game and is now leading the league in APG (11.6). To go along with that he’s upped his rebounding (6.1 to 8.3 RPG) and his efficiency (59.8% to 61.3% True Shooting and 25.3 to 28.0 Player Efficiency Rating). Harden is putting up the stats of an MVP, but the most impressive thing that he’s done is make the team better. Before the season, a lot of people wrote the Rockets out of the playoffs, now they are a top 5 team in the entire league.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 28.7 (3rd)
APG: 11.6 (1st)
PER: 28.0 (5th)
Russell Westbrook:
What Russell Westbrook is doing this season is one of the most amazing things I’ve witnessed as a basketball fan. The fact that he’s able to give his insane amount of effort night in and night out is incredible by itself. Westbrook is on pace for the highest usage percentage in NBA history. After recording his 21st triple-double of the season last night, he’s not far off the clip of Oscar Robertson’s record season (41 triple-doubles).
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 30.6 (1st)
APG: 10.4 (2nd)
RPG: 10.6 (11th)
PER: 29.5 (1st)
Second Tier
LeBron James:
Another player that’s not far off from averaging a triple double, LeBron James might be the most valuable to his team. The Cavaliers are 0-3 when LeBron doesn’t play, which is pretty eye-opening for the best team in the Eastern Conference. The assumption is that he’ll either sit out more games or play less minutes per game after the All Star Break. If his team continues to lose without him, he’ll definitely have a strong case for MVP.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 25.5 (9th)
APG: 8.3 (5th)
PER: 25.9 (11th)
Kevin Durant:
It kind of seems like Kevin Durant is flying under the radar this season. Everyone knows how good of an offensive player he is, but he’s really starting to become a great defender. He’s averaging career bests in blocks, turnovers, rebounds and FG%. The efficiency Durant has shown on offense this season is incredible. If he can improve his free throw shooting, he’ll be well on his way to his second 50-40-90 shooting season.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 26.3 (7th)
BPG: 1.7 (11th)
TS%: 66.0 (4th)
PER: 28.3 (4th)
Kawhi Leonard:
Following up his MVP runner-up season, Kawhi Leonard has only improved. He is now averaging career highs in scoring and assists without much of a decrease in efficiency. Leonard is currently 1% too low on his FG% from shooting 50-40-90 also. His increase in offense to go with his top-tier defense is enough to put him in the MVP conversation.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 25.1 (10th)
SPG: 1.9 (5th)
PER: 28.4 (2nd)
Isaiah Thomas:
By now, most people know that Isaiah Thomas has earned a spot in the MVP discussion. The “King of the Fourth Quarter” has been arguably the best closer in the entire NBA. Putting up career highs in scoring, FG%, 3P% and FT%. He thrives off of people doubting him and after missing out on starting in the All Star Game, who knows what he’ll do next.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 29.0 (2nd)
FT%: 91% (3rd)
PER: 27.0 (9th)
Giannis Antetokounmpo:
The Greek Freak just continues to amaze everyone with the things he is able to do. A Khris Middleton-less Bucks team had very low expectations going into the season, yet Giannis has kept them in the playoff race. Giannis is averaging career highs across the board, all he’s really missing is a reliable outside shot. The future is incredibly bright for this kid.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 23.5 (14th)
SPG: 1.8 (7th)
BPG: 2.0 (6th)
PER: 27.9 (6th)
Third Tier
Stephen Curry:
Even in what’s considered a down year for Stephen Curry, he’s still possibly the most important point guard in the league. His explosiveness could inevitably make-or-break the Warriors season. A lot of what Curry has done this season hasn’t really shown up in the box scores, it’s been his ability to take over games with his dynamic scoring.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 24.6 (12th)
SPG: 1.8 (9th)
3PM: 170 (1st)
Jimmy Butler:
One of the few bright spots for the Chicago Bulls this season, Jimmy Butler has continued his yearly development. Butler is averaging career high’s in scoring and rebounding without taking a drop in efficiency or assists. He has certainly proven to be a reliable star that Chicago could build around.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 24.7 (11th)
SPG: 1.7 (12th)
PER: 25.8 (12th)
Anthony Davis:
It feels criminal to leave Anthony Davis this low, as we all know what the New Orleans Pelicans are without him. Davis had just as hot of a start as anyone else, but a couple of minor injuries have hindered him recently. The fact that he’s keeping this Pelican’s team afloat is remarkable, but it’s not quite enough to make him a front runner for MVP.
Notable NBA Ranks:
PPG: 28.6 (4th)
RPG: 12.0 (7th)
BPG: 2.4 (3rd)
PER: 28.4 (3rd)
James Harden Houston Rockets (Photo by Mark Downey Lucid Images/Corbis via Getty Images)
