After a number of seasons of forced and artificial debate over which NBA star is the Most Valuable Player, the 2013/14 season has finally provided us with a race worthy of heated discussion.
In recent times, LeBron James has had a mortgage on the prestigious award. Over the past five seasons, ‘The King’ has taken home the trophy four times, and rightfully so.
During that span, the lone time LeBron didn’t win was in 2010/11, when Derrick Rose was named the league’s best player. Rose had a fine season, yet it’s debatable whether he should have even been the runner-up, let alone the winner.
However, it was a ‘nice’ story to have the classy Rose named MVP, while conversely the same could not be said if LeBron took home the silverware that year.
It was LeBron’s first season in Miami after unceremoniously dumping his previous team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, via the now infamous The Decision television special on ESPN. As such, LeBron was public enemy No.1, and the voting journalists appeared unable – or unwilling – to see past that.
Conspiracy theorists may claim that it was a calculated move by the journalists, as the snubbing of LeBron helped grow the narrative of LeBron’s newfound villainy and the drama surrounding it. Drama which, in turn, sold papers and increased hits on sites.
However, whatever you believe, LeBron simply couldn’t be denied his greatness the two following seasons, with his sublime play resulting in two historically brilliant statistical campaigns, two championships and two MVP trophies.
Though some pundits made a half-hearted case for Kevin Durant in that time, it never carried any serious weight, for LeBron was simply better in every way you could conceivably measure.
This was especially true last year when LeBron was just one vote shy of becoming the first unanimous MVP in history.
Of 121 journalists, 120 placed LeBron number one on their ballot. Somewhat comically, in hindsight, the lone other vote didn’t even go to the eventual runner-up Durant.
Instead, some idiot – Gary Washburn to be precise – voted for Carmelo Anthony. That decision still defies belief, but I digress.
This season is a different story.
Though LeBron has once again been outstanding, he has slipped ever so slightly, while players like Paul George and LaMarcus Aldridge are playing outstanding ball and have their respective teams racking up the wins.
Yet it’s perennial bridesmaid Kevin Durant who has taken his game to another level, and threatens LeBron’s stranglehold on the MVP plaudits.
Missing fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook through injury for the majority of the season, Durant has put his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates on his back and carried them to the second best record in the league.
Durant is leading the league in scoring – nothing new, as he’s already achieved this feat three times in his young career – by a full four points per game over Melo, and is shooting with his usual eye-popping percentages.
He’s also improved his playmaking and defence, while his rebounding has remained extremely impressive for a small forward with a slight frame.
Perhaps most remarkable, Durant leads the league in PER (Player Efficiency Rating), a category that LeBron has finished first in for the past six seasons.
Yet it’s Durant’s leadership and intensity that have really stood out this season.
He’s now willing to get in the face of teammates when required, or talk trash to opponents. Furthermore, he rarely lets the game drift away from him without attempting to ‘take charge’ of the game situation.
Though the improvement has come somewhat through necessity, courtesy of Westbrook’s absence, one cannot deny that it’s definitely helped Durant’s game, and his team.
So much so that should he maintain his play, he very well may steal LeBron’s MVP trophy.
LeBron’s fans will rightly point out that the season is only halfway over. ‘The King’ has plenty of time to defend his throne, and he’s realistically only slightly behind Durant on the imaginary MVP ladder.
The second half of the season may see an intense race to the finish line, and ensure that we have a legitimate MVP debate on our hands.
astro
Guest
There's also a DeMarcus! Best current NBA player first name though, is definitely Kentavious. Nothing tops that...
jameswm
Guest
There's really a player called LaMarcus Aldridge? Makes me think of Cam and Mitchell's friend LeMichael on Modern Family.
Mushi
Guest
Someone else wrote about this a few weeks back and I thought he was crazy... But then you delve deeper into it and James has backed off a lot on the defensive end. I wonder if part of that is they can't play that full on helter skelter college-esque ball pressure if wade is in and out of the line up so much (goes to your point on the continuity of starters) But as much as gets made of talent around Lebron, Durant is hardly playing with a cavaliers supporting cast. Ibaka is a decent second option and has improved defensively (not shot blocking but actually being in the right place) and he's only had around 200 minutes less with Russ than Lebron has with wade. My thing for value is the way the entire western world uses value in every other context (but somehow becomes this confusing nebulous concept when placed in the hands of intellectual giants like Stephen a smith) open auction whose contribution would you pay the most for. Right now the difference in defensive intensity and use age means every team would pay more for durant's contribution than lebrons. That said if Lebron dials it in down the stretch he can take that back.
Marcus Halberstram
Guest
Only injury would stop Durant now - or very unlikely form drop maybe due to Westerbrooks return . I don't think Lebron is even that motivated to win it.
Ryan O'Connell
Guest
Precisely.
astro
Guest
If anything, Durant having little offensive help around him has aided his MVP chances. With no Westbrook, he has been forced into taking a greater offensive role, and the results have been outstanding in terms of his numbers. This is not dissimilar to what Lebron did in Cleveland.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
KD won the battle tonight. The trophy should go to the dominant player over the course of the season, but journos tend to look at the head-to-head match-ups as well.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Walt's career average is over 30! It doesn't get much more dominant!
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Nah, Alex Hannum persuaded him to change his style when he took over as the Sixers coach so they could win a championship, and Sharman did the same thing in LA. The stats Chamberlain produced were like a basketball purist's dream, but there was always a part of him that resented not being able to go out there and be a dominant scorer.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Nice comback by OKC - now 36-33 Heat at 8.53 in the second
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Well, Miami are playing OKC right now, and it's not pretty for the Thunder. 22-7 Miami, with 5.14 to go in the first.
Troy
Guest
If OKC can maintain their winning % above or around Miami's I think the voters will want to give Durant a trophy. I don't think too many people would quibble if KD got one.
josh
Roar Rookie
Agree, it's a sub plot. But from a media point of view "crazy" numbers are getting the press. I'd say voter fatigue has already set in. As an example, James has posted another 20-8-8 night, then a 26-11-4 (not real stats). His near triple double's are de rigueur.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I'm not sure that's exactly accurate. For starters, WIlt curtailed his scoring to prove he could lead the league in assists, not to win championships. Big difference.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Voter fatigue will definitely play a part, you're right. But Durant has been playing great enough basketball that it would be a sub-plot, not the plot.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
There is no question that LeBron has more talent around him, though I would argue that being without Wade (and to a lesser extent Bosh) for large periods of the season brings its own challenges. I don't just mean their absence; it also means that from night-to-night, the Heat are playing with different starting fives, which can disrupt the flow of the team. It's also important to note that LeBron has greater impact on defense that Durant does as well. I certainly think Durant has his nose in front, but he doesn't have an insurmountable lead, by any stretch of the imagination. If the Thunder go 4-6 in their next 10 games and Durant averages 25/5/2 on OK shooting percentages, and in the same span, the Heat go 10-0 and LeBron is dropping triple doubles, shooting 60% and dominating on D, then suddenly he's probably back in front.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Durant is running away with it. So much so that Lebron is starting to make Wilt Chamberlain like noises about the numbers he could be putting up if he wasn't curtailing his style to win championships.
Skinnada
Roar Rookie
As a Massive Miami & LeBron fan I agree that after the past fortnight KD is now without doubt in front in the race. He has single handedly taken his team to best record in West. A few games earlier this month KD scored well but on an ordinary FG% & lots of turnovers but in this past fortnight he has been unbelievable. Can LeBron catch back up, sure! However with the Spoelstra likely to shut the Big 3 down early this regular season he better start making a charge soon. Today against KD would be a start. Miami are coasting right now, but if they cant get up for OKC & KD on their streak then the MVP trophy & a return to NBA finals takes a step backwards.
Casey Novak
Roar Rookie
Durant at the moment you would have to say is leading the MVP race!! But what about the other stars around the league like Kevin Love and Lamarcus Aldridge, killing it for the TWolves and TrailBlazers respectively!!
josh
Roar Rookie
I could see Durant winning this year, based his numbers he's putting up coupled with voter fatigue. It also comes down to how the term MVP is interpreted. Is an MVP a guy who can regularly get 20, 5+, 5+; the type of Player teams can build a championship team around? Or is it a guy who has score 40+ just to make his team a chance. Right now Durant is the MVP for Thunder, without him they are up a creek. James is like the cream on top for the Heat. He doesn't need to shoot 30+ or get (near) triple doubles for the Heat to win, it's benefit if he does.