Written By: Paul Egbeyemi
Edited By: Jack Hinde & Nabil Haider
With the pleasantries of All-Star weekend finished up, the league's best players return to their respective teams in hopes of making a run deep into the playoffs. However, a question in the back of many fans' minds is who will win the award for Most Valuable Player, which is easily the most esteemed award the league has to offer an individual player. This year, many players make the case for the highly coveted award, but which of them truly has a fighting chance? Which of them is truly the most valuable to their team? Which of them has the best story in order to win over the voters and claim the prestigious award as their own? This article will attempt to answer those questions objectively.
Stephen Curry has truly faced unprecedented trials and tribulations this season. With the exit of Kevin Durant and the injuries plaguing his partner in crime Klay Thompson, the formerly dominant Golden State Warriors have been faced with an uphill battle. Nevertheless, the two-time MVP has had nothing short of a marvelous season so far, averaging just about 30 points a game, with 6.3 assists, and 5.5 rebounds. The undisputed best shooter of all time is averaging just about 48 percent from the field and has a league high 93 percent free throw shooting percentage. It can also be shown that his team is better at scoring with him on the court, as he holds a 7.4 offensive plus minus, placing him impressively, at 3rd in the league for the stat. Perhaps the biggest cog in Curry’s MVP run is the fact that the Warriors currently sit 9th in the Western conference. While it is obviously not Curry’s fault alone, MVP’s have historically been awarded to those on the winningest of teams, thus it only makes sense that in order for Stephen Curry to be crowned the league’s most valuable player, the Warriors must climb a few seeds higher in the standings.
Lebron James is coming off a Championship season with the Los Angeles Lakers, and even at the age of 36, he shows no signs of slowing down. His numbers reflect just how dominant he has been this season, averaging just about 26 points, 7.8 assists, and 8 rebounds a game. He is also managing to shoot a stunning 50% from the field, on 19 shots per game. The Lakers currently sit 3rd in the Western conference, which certainly serves no detriment to James’ potential MVP campaign. However, his case is weakened by a constant argument. In James’ 17 NBA seasons, he has already won 4 MVP awards, and bestowing this honour upon him again almost makes the league look like it has a lack of worthy players. Younger players always have a better chance, considering their story is just that much more compelling, since the hype around that player is relatively fresh. Whereas, voters may begin to grow less interested in players who have already proven themselves countless times, again and again. It almost seems like Lebron James’ immense greatness is also his downfall when it comes to regular season awards.
Joel Embiid is proving himself to be a force on his Philadelphia 76ers team, and perhaps has the best story out of everyone gunning for the award. With 0 games under his belt in the first 2 years of his career, many questioned his ability to ever see success in the league, as he was never available to play. The maxim “trust the process” was adopted by Philadelphia fans to assure themselves that he would come into his own, in due time. Those fans were most definitely correct, as Embiid has reached All-Star status in his last 4 seasons and has a strong MVP case this season, especially if the 76ers can maintain the best record in the East (24-12). He currently averages a monstrous double-double at 30 points per game and 11.6 rebounds. His shooting has also significantly improved, as he shoots 52 percent from the field, which is a significant jump from his 47 percent shooting last season. Many accredit this surge in performance to Embiid showing up to camp in significantly better shape, and bringing a newfound intensity with him. If Joel can keep his stats up while his team continues their winning ways, then he no doubt has a very compelling case for MVP this year.
Both Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard are having standout seasons, and have brought their teams to new heights. In the packed western conference, the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets are both currently playoff bound sitting at 5th and 6th, respectively. In his 3rd All Star season Nikola Jokic is almost averaging a triple double, with 27.1 points a game, 11 rebounds and 8.6 assists a game. Jokic is also shooting an insane 56 percent from the field, which tops everyone on this list, in addition to his league-leading 37.2 efficiency rating. The 6-time All-Star Damian Lillard on the other hand, is averaging an equally impressive 30 points a game, while also putting up 8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, in light of the unduly absences of C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic due to injury. He also ties Steph Curry’s league-high free throw percentage, shooting 93 percent from the line. Both are undoubtedly deserving of the MVP award this year, and perhaps pushing their teams higher up in the Western conference could tip the scales in their favour.
While everyone named is a star in their own right, and all hold great chances at claiming the MVP award as their own, my personal pick for this award would have to be Stephen Curry. His story this season sticks out to me more so than the others; a player who is trying to prove he can lead towards success all by himself, and considering this has been the biggest critique for his decorated career, it feels personal for him to achieve this. His game-changing playstyle makes his game so much fun to watch. I have no doubts that if he can lead the Golden State Warriors to the playoffs and maintain his already tremendous stats, the MVP award will be bestowed upon him once again.
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