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#pounditThursday, March 28, 2024

5 players leading the early NBA MVP race

Russell Westbrook

The 2016-2017 NBA regular season is now officially at the quarter mark, so trends are becoming more apparent. The contenders are separating themselves from the pretenders, and the superstars are beginning to put their stamp on the year.

The league MVP race is also heating up, and with each passing game, it’s becoming more and more obvious who’s in play. So with that in mind, here’s a look at five players currently leading the MVP charge.

5. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)

LeBron James is a mainstay when it comes to NBA MVP discussion and speculation, and 2016-2017 will be no different. His annual candidacy for the award has been earned throughout his career and on a day-to-day basis, but LeBron’s competition this season is stiffer than ever.

Despite the crowded nature of the current MVP race, James is very much among the front-runners.

Not only has LeBron helped lead the Cavaliers to an Eastern Conference-best record, he’s done it by transforming his game to fit the players around him. Yes, he’s still among the league’s best in points per game (25.0) and qualifying field goal percentage (.518), but he’s also drastically improved his passing game and is now averaging a career-high 9.0 assists per game, which ranks him in the league’s top five.

The reason LeBron doesn’t warrant a higher placement or stronger consideration is because we’re used to seeing him do it all himself (last season not included). As such, his sometimes bloated offensive numbers are down, but he’s making the players around him better. And that’s what true MVPs do.

4. Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs)

The San Antonio Spurs can churn out big men with the best of them, and in the post-Tim Duncan era, they appear to have done that yet again.

Kawhi Leonard has not only established himself as a formidable NBA superstar, but also as an MVP contender. And he he’s done that by rounding his offense game into shape in addition to playing his great defense.

Through 24 games this season, Leonard is averaging a career-high 24.7 points and 3.0 assists. He’s also pulling down an average of 6.0 boards per game and coming away with an average of 2.0 steals per game. Impressively, he’s also shooting a career-high .914 from the line.

Defensively, there are no surprises when it comes to Leonard. He is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and rightfully so. He’s as dominant as they come and can shut down any player the league has to offer.

One issue preventing Leonard from being being a more serious MVP candidate is his field goal percentage of .468, which is a career-low, and a three point percentage of .398 in the face of taking more threes per game than his career average.

3. Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)

When Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder and joined the Golden State Warriors, two questions arose: how would Russell Westbrook fare without him, and would there be enough of an opportunity for Durant to shine with the Warriors?

Through the quarter mark of the season, both of those questions have been answered, but we’ll get to the one about Westbrook later.

It turns out that despite the hoard of talent on Golden State, Durant has enjoyed an opportunity to shine. In fact, Durant has fit in so well with the Warriors and been given such a substantial opportunity despite being surrounded by countless superstars that he’s near the team lead in most relevant categories.

Through 26 games, Durant leads the team in points per game (25.9), blocks per game (1.65), free throws made per game (5.9), qualified field goal percentage (.535) and, if you can believe it, qualified three-point percentage (.405). He’s also second on the team in rebounds per game (8.2), third on the team in steals per game (1.27) and third on the team in assists per game (4.6).

Those numbers have helped lead the Warriors to a league-leading 22-4 record, so Durant is very much in the MVP discussion.

2. James Harden (Houston Rockets)

James Harden is the second former member of the Oklahoma City Thunder to make this list, which sandwiches him between two former teammates. That in and of itself is interesting, but a story for another day.

Coming into the season, there were quite a few experts (and teammates) predicting Harden would win the league MVP award, and through a quarter of the season, those predictions aren’t very far off.

Currently, Harden is fourth in the NBA in scoring (28.1), first in assists (11.6), first in free throws made (218), first in free throws attempted (261), second in double-doubles (18) and second in triple-doubles (4). He also leads all shooting guards in scoring and assists, is second in rebounds per game (7.7) and second in steals per game (1.56).

Those numbers have help yield an 18-7 record for the Houston Rockers, tied for third in the Western Conference, and would have put him at the top of the MVP chase if not for the next guy on our list.

1. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)

It’s been beaten like a dead horse, but rightfully so: Russell Westbrook is off to one of the hottest starts in NBA history and is currently aligning himself with some of the all-time greats with his historic performances.

Westbrook is averaging a triple-double on the season — at a current pace of one every other game — and his combined points, rebounds and assists (53.0 average) through the quarter mark total more than any other player in league history. The next closest is Michael Jordan, who averaged 48.6 in 1989.

The Oklahoma City superstar is also in the top five in both Player Efficiency and Real Plus-Minus, and his efficiency vs. usage grades out higher than any All-NBA First Teamer since 1980.

Needless to say, what Westbrook has done at this point in the season is nothing short or remarkable. Yet, it means literally nothing to him.

“I don’t care [about the MVP award], honestly,” Westbrook said via CBS Sports, noting that all he wants is an NBA title.

If Westbrook keeps playing at this high level, he may not only get his wish of an NBA title, but he may also walk away with the MVP award as well.

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