James Harden has been breaking ankles and grabbing headlines all season. Since acquiring Chris Paul last summer, Harden and the Houston Rockets have been on a major tear against almost every team in the league. Without a doubt, the Houston Rockets are the best team in the NBA right now and that has everything to do with James Harden. There is a good chance that Harden may finally take the MVP trophy home this year. However, there are a few other worthy candidates (in no particular order) that deserve some attention.
- LeBron James
Photo Credit: Cavs Nation
There is a shelf somewhere in Cleveland that is holding four of these trophies. That shelf would be found in the home of LeBron James. James, in his 15th season, has continued his utter dominance of this league. He is averaging 27 points a game while shooting 54% from the field. He is also averaging 8.4 rebounds and 9 assists a game. All this while being 33 years old has his name right behind Harden’s for the MVP award this season. He certainly would be one of the oldest players to win the award. Regardless, his high level of play certainly should not go unnoticed and LeBron James is a worthy candidate.
- Stephen Curry
Photo Credit: NBC Sports
Another former MVP, Curry has been leading the Golden State Warriors in scoring this season. However, he recently went down with yet another injury and will not be back until the playoffs. Averaging 26.3 points per game while shooting 42.4% from deep, Curry has been a problem for most of the teams around the league when he was healthy. Without him the Warriors are still second in the West. Once he returns, though, he will look to march his team back to the finals and demonstrate why he deserves to be a part of this conversation.
- Russell Westbrook
Photo Credit: Slam Magazine
Westbrook is the reigning MVP thanks to his triple double berth last season. He was the first player to ever average a triple double and now it looks like he may be the first to do it consecutively. On the season, Westbrook is averaging 25.4 points along with 9.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game. He is literally 0.3 rebounds away from averaging a triple double once again. Not to mention, the Oklahoma City Thunder are fourth in the Western Conference after having a shaky start to the season. Westbrook has been the turnaround guy for the Thunder. If he continues this trajectory, even with a few games left, Westbrook could be the first player to average a triple double two seasons in a row. That historical prospect certainly earns him a spot in the MVP conversation.
- Anthony Davis
Photo Credit: Complex
Already hailed as the best player under 25 years old, Anthony Davis has been on a tear all season long. In addition to dropping 28.2 points per game, he also averages 11.1 rebounds per game. Not to mention, he leads the league in blocks, with 2.4 blocks per game. His physical dominance demonstrated itself when he scored 50 points twice this season without relying on the three-point line. His phenomenal play has pushed the Pelicans into the playoff picture, in spite of the devastating injury to DeMarcus Cousins. Davis has been stepping up all season long and his stellar play earns him a place on this list.
- Damian Lillard
Photo Credit: Oregon Sports News
Lillard was named an All-star for the first time this season and has certainly been playing like it. Lillard averages 26.6 points a game while shooting 44.1 % from the field. Additionally, he also averages 4.4 rebounds as well as 6.5 assists. More than anything, though, he has propelled the Portland Trailblazers to third in the West. The only teams doing better in the West than the Blazers are the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors. Lillard is right at the center of Portland’s game plan and he should not be isolated from the MVP conversation.
- DeMar DeRozan
Photo Credit: Sportsnet
DeRozan is the best player on the best team in the East. While playing less minutes due to Toronto’s rotation strategy, DeRozan is averaging 23.6 points per game along with four rebounds and 5.1 assists. He has consistently been scoring at 45.8% from the field thanks to his athleticism and deadly mid-ranger jumper. Taking his lead, the Toronto Raptors clinched a playoff spot and hope DeRozan will be able to lead them to the promised land. That prospect and his great play make him an MVP candidate.
As the 2017-2018 season one of the above will be considered for the MVP. As the season comes to a close each of them will be fighting for the honor of taking that trophy home, either for the first time or the fifth.
The Soapbox 