- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
This season may be one of the closest MVP races in recent memory, with superstars from all over the league putting their hands up for the coveted award. But which five players are making the greatest push?
5. Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Season stats: 20.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks
Jokic is the most versatile big man the league has to offer. The seven-foot centre has taken a big leap forward this season with career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals. He has been the centre point of a Denver team that has shocked everyone, sitting second in the very competitive western conference with 18 games left in the regular season.
Jokic has put this hand up as being the player Denver can build their franchise around. demonstrating throughout the season that he can carry the team to wins. What makes the season Jokic and Denver are having even more impressive is the copious amount of injuries suffered. They’ve been going most of the season with many starters out of the line-up.
The all-roundedness of Jokic’s game has made him a constant threat to the opposition. Not only can he back down opponents in the post, but he can find the open man with precision passing and step out beyond the arc and hit down shots (32.13 per cent).
4. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Season stats: 28.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.4 blocks
The season Curry is having has flown under the radar, whether because we expect this of him or because of the off-court events around the Warriors this season. Whatever it may be, the campaign Curry is putting together needs to be discussed. The strength of his teammates also plays against him in the MVP race, with all-stars Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins and Draymond Green all contributing to the team on a nightly basis.
The Warriors are the No. 1 seed in the western conference, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. However, it hasn’t been as easy for them as it has been previously, sitting at 44-20 and only one game clear of Denver. Even though they have five all-stars, it’s Curry who means the most to this team – with him playing they are 39-14, meaning they’re 5-6 without. He initiates the offence and draws the main attention of the opposition.
Curry is having another outstanding season from beyond the arc, illustrating further that he is the best shooter to ever play the game. His 5.2 three-pointers per game is the best of his career. If the Warriors are to make it a three-peat, Steph has a huge part to play in the finals.
Stephen Curry. (AP)
3. Paul George (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Season stats: 28.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.4 blocks
This is the superstar season we have been waiting for from PG. He is excelling both offensively and defensively, leading his Thunder to a 39-25 record. George has set career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals this campaign.
Night in, night out he is putting up very impressive number and has been getting better as the season progresses. His best month was February, where he averaged 35 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists a game. PG’s ability to close out the game and have ‘MVP moments’ in close games adds to have MVP resume.
Thunder fans have been impressed by George’s impact on fellow superstar Russell Westbrook, who has been playing to his strength of passing the ball rather than shooting. All of these factors combined have led to some NBA analysts believing George is leading the MVP race as it stands.
2. James Harden (Houston Rockets)
Season stats: 36.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.7 blocks
It has been a historic season for James Harden. Backing up from his MVP in the 2017-18 season, he’s upped his level of play and is putting up numbers you only see in video games. To be averaging 36.6 points is the best we’ve seen since Michael Jordon.
During this season he went on a run of 31 consecutive 30-point games, the second best in history. It was this streak that put his name into MVP contention after he started the season slowly. Harden put the team on his back and has taken them from 14th in the western conference to fourth with a record of 40-25.
There have been many critics of Harden’s game style, however, with some saying it’s not play-off-winning basketball, often calling it ‘selfish’ basketball.
The one knock on Harden’s game over the previous seasons has been on the defensive end of the court. This season he is second the league in steals and seems to be making more of an effort on that end of the court. Even with this increased production on the defensive end it isn’t quite up to the level of the better two-way players in the league.
James Harden of the Houston Rockets. (Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Season stats: 27.1 points, 12.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.5 blocks
The season Giannis is having is quite remarkable and the sheer weight of the numbers he is putting up is only the beginning of it. Many people just look at stats when it comes to awards, but it’s only when you watch Milwaukee play that you get a greater sense of what he brings to his team. The ability to find the open man and make the correct play on both ends of the floor shows the leadership of Giannis.
The Milwaukee game style is built around Giannis’s power and dominance inside the restricted zone – he will either dunk over the defender or kick the ball out to the open man for a three-point attempt. This game style has been executed with great success over the season, with Milwaukee having the best record in the NBA at 49-16 and obtaining an elite plus-minus of 9.2.
Not only is Giannis a freak on the offensive end, he is also one of the best two-way players in the league. With the ability to guard any position on the court due to his lateral quickness and height, teams struggle to find a way around him. At this point in the season he has the best defensive rating in the league at 98.7 points per 100 possessions.
Having the best record is a massive advantage when it comes to voting, with most MVPs finishing with either the best or the second-best record in their conference. This combined with the numbers Giannis is putting up means it will take a big last month from any of the previous four players to step ahead of him in the MVP race.
Honourable mentions
Build your own ultimate team! Pick your key players and take a shot at big cash prizes every day with Draftstars. For great odds on NBA games every day head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.