Race to the MVP: Our Final Verdict
By Kurt Walker, NBA.com
Posted Mar 31 2017 09:45PM
The clock is ticking.
As the end of the regular season approaches, we have now entered the most intense two week period of every regular season. This is where playoff contenders duke it out for the final few spots available in the postseason, and this is also the crucial period where MVP candidates push on and make their final cases for the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.
In a race as tight as the one this season, frontrunners Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James, and Steph Curry will need every performance to count if they wish to impress voters enough for them to be awarded the most prestigious individual award the game has to offer.
Without further ado, let the last Race to the MVP ladder of the season commence.
1. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (50-25)
Stats: PPG -- 26.5; RPG -- 9.5; APG -- 10.1; SPG -- 3.4; BPG -- 0.7; FG% -- .469; 3P% -- .330; FT% -- .809
Last Month's Rank: 1
Comment: Westbrook will enter the final two weeks of the season as the current favourite to win league MVP honours, and it’s easy to see why. The man has moved closer and closer towards that prestigious accomplishment of averaging a triple double for the season (while also notching a career high of 23 total triple doubles in a season), and it hasn’t been just empty stats that he’s been putting up either. The Thunder have now clinched a playoff spot with a record of 50-25, and are sitting pretty in 2nd place in the Western Conference Standings. Led by Westbrook, they went 13-3 with a staggering average of 110 points per game in the month of March. Now that’s an example of a player being the engine that drives the whole team.
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (56-20)
Stats: PPG -- 22.7; RPG -- 8.8; APG -- 8.6; SPG -- 2.3; BPG -- 1.3; FG% -- .481; 3P% -- .326; FT% -- .749
Last Month's Rank: 3
Comment: Yes, he’s had better seasons statistically, particularly on offense. Yes, the Cavs’ record, while dominating the East, doesn’t compare to Western Conference teams. These are all valid points, but one has to look past those and recognise that LeBron James is truly worth of being in the contention for MVP honours. After a month of February where his shooting dipped to an alarming 43.4%, James has sprung back with a very respectable 49.1%, and even raised his three point percentage to 33.9% - the second best month shooting this season. But these are all beside the point, as he has been more focused on distributing the ball and his biggest contribution have actually been on the defensive end. With James leading the charge defensively, Cleveland only allowed 99.1 points per game in the month of March on just 41.4% shooting from their opponents. On the season they have the 4th best defensive rating in the league alongside the best offensive rating (yes, better than the Warriors!) and it is a big reason why they have already clinched the conference with plenty of time to remaining before the postseason.
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (60-16)
Stats: PPG -- 28.8; RPG -- 6.1; APG -- 6.8; SPG -- 2.2; BPG -- 0.2; FG% -- .497; 3P% -- .452; FT% -- .913
Last Month's Rank: 2
Comment: Due to having Kevin Durant on the team, the two time reigning MVP will most likely miss out on receiving the honour for the third straight time, but it’s no knock on his performances, as the Warriors have long clinched the Western Conference and Curry will most likely walk away with his first scoring title by season’s end, as there is a staggering 1.7 ppg difference between him and second place James Harden right now.
4. James Harden, Houston Rockets (46-29)
Stats: PPG -- 27.1; RPG -- 6.7; APG -- 6.4; SPG -- 1.9; BPG -- 0.9; FG% -- .468; 3P% -- .431; FT% -- .859
Last Month's Rank: 4
Comment: At first glance, Harden’s numbers may have looked better last season, but upon closer examination on efficiency vs productivity, we can safely conclude that the Bearded one is definitely enjoying his best season in his 8 year career so far. Teaming up with the famous offensive genius Mike D’Antoni and being moved to point guard, Harden has enjoyed the most efficient season yet, shooting over 43% from deep (he has never shot over 39% before this season), just under 47% from the field (second best in career), and still averaging a league second best 27.1 ppg, Harden has thrived in D’Antoni’s uptempo system and it’s no question who runs the show for the playoff bound Rockets.
5. Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers (49-27)
Stats: PPG -- 23.8; RPG -- 3.9; APG -- 8.2; SPG -- 1.6; BPG -- 0.3; FG% -- .452; 3P% -- .416; FT% -- .892
Last Month's Rank: 9
Comment: A 14-4 month has not only propelled the Blazers from 6th to 3rd in the Western Conference standings and clinch them a playoff spot early, but it has also moved Lillard up the rankings from his previous spot at 9th to 5th. Alongside his fellow sharpshooting partner in the backcourt C.J. McCollum, Lillard and the Blazers look ready to make some noise in the postseason.
6. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors (60-16)
Stats: PPG -- 23.7; RPG -- 7.7; APG -- 4.7; SPG -- 1.4; BPG -- 1.7; FG% -- .516; 3P% -- .444; FT% -- .894
Last Month's Rank: 10
Comment: Durant’s numbers are a far cry from his OKC self, and his presence on a stacked team that features Steph Curry also hurts his case for MVP (and vice versa), but Durant’s incredibly efficient contributions to the title favourite Warriors cannot be ignored, as he is easily having his most efficient season scoring the basketball with career highs in both field goal (51.6%) and three pointers (44.4%). As the month of March has shown, Durant is still perfectly capable of having months where he is putting up massive offensive numbers (26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds), only now he’s doing it on 55% from the field and 49% from three. Incredible.
7. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers (49-28)
Stats: PPG -- 14.7; RPG -- 14.8; APG -- 0.5; SPG -- 0.1; BPG -- 3.1; FG% -- .513; 3P% -- .472; FT% -- .914
Last Month’s Rank: 5
Comment: He is still the favourite for defensive player of the year honours, but DeAndre’s production has been slipping in all facets in the past month, as he only put up 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game through the 15 games in March, with the only positive uptake in production coming from his free throw performances, going up from an abysmal 30% in February to a less terrible rate of 44.1% this month. If he doesn’t pick it up in the final few games, Anthony Davis might just snatch the defensive honours away, and while we are at it, Andre Drummond is closing in on the rebounding title too, which we thought was all but clinched by DJ.
8. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (56-20)
Stats: PPG -- 24.9; RPG -- 3.4; APG -- 7.1; SPG -- 1.7; BPG -- 0.8; FG% -- .486; 3P% -- .428; FT% -- .922
Last Month's Rank: 6
Comment: For the first time this season, Irving’s scoring has dropped below 20 ppg (19.9) and this has been reflected in his drop down our Race to the MVP ladder; and let’s face it, there is just no way Irving could win regular season MVP honours while a certain monster by the name of LeBron James is on his team. Nonetheless, Kyrie is definitely having a career year and might just take home Finals MVP honours if he picks up his play for the defending champs in their bid to go back-to-back this postseason.
9. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs (46-30)
Stats: PPG -- 21.9; RPG -- 6.8; APG -- 3.3; SPG -- 2.6; BPG -- 1.0; FG% -- .500; 3P% -- .467; FT% -- .911
Last Month’s Rank: 7
Comment: Rule number one when judging a Spurs player is always, don’t look at their stats, as Popovich is known to rest his stars and is rarely concerned with regular season success anyways as long as they make the playoffs. But the Spurs are really slipping this past month, ending the month with a 10-6 record and finding themselves dropping to 6th in the West. However, they have still clinched a playoff spot and that’s all that matters for Pop. Plus, Kawhi averaged 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block on 50% shooting from both the field and from deep this month playing significantly less minutes than every other MVP candidate on this list. In other words, he’s still Kawhi Leonard.
10. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons (43-34)
Stats: PPG -- 19.0; RPG -- 14.4; APG -- 0.5; SPG -- 0.7; BPG -- 1.5; FG% -- .558; 3P% -- .800; FT% -- .385
Last Month's Rank: N/A
Comment: No, your eyes do not deceive you. Andre Drummond is indeed shooting 80% from three this season. Granted, it is just 4 of 5 attempts, but it is impressive nonetheless. Now if he could improve on that dreadful 38.5% from the foul line he’d be a legit MVP contender for sure, as he is quietly pushing DeAndre Jordan for the rebounding title, while putting up a career high 19 points per game and leading the Pistons to the second best record in the (granted, it’s weak) Eastern Conference, and a clinched playoff berth entering the month of April.