Image via Complex Original
The NBA MVP is arguably the most prestigious in sports. Oftentimes, it reflects not only the value of a player’s performance but their significance to the game itself. A look back at its recipients details the standard bearers of every position, from post to perimeter. So while the award continues to evade definition, anything less than a unanimous decision would be doing this year’s recipient a disservice.
You see Stephen Curry is more than the MVP. He’s a transformational talent whose play has surpassed our expectations of traditional dominance and expanded the boundaries of possibility. Granted, the three-pointer became more than a novelty years ago. Simple math and sharpened skill have cemented it as a foundation of any successful modern offense. However, Curry is practically an offense unto himself and one unlike any we’ve ever seen.
The way he weaves through a defense or stretches it beyond its breaking point does more than create opportunities for teammates. It creates a new future—one in which the slightest frame may belie the greatest advantage. As for the present, the only intrigue left in this regular season is to wonder by how many games Golden State will eclipse the ’96 Bulls’ 72-10 record and whether any fool would dare deny Curry the first unanimous MVP in league history.
So rather than encouraging such silliness, let’s use this exercise as an opportunity to thoroughly vet the candidates for second place and appreciate the performances lost in Curry’s wake.
5. Draymond Green
Draymond’s ability to effectively guard either post players or swingmen, along with his keen passing sense and surprising accuracy from deep, is what makes Golden State such a difficult matchup. It’s laughable to think of him as small, but when teams are forced to eschew their centers to matchup, he suddenly becomes much larger than such strategy would presume. He’ll inhale rebounds and drive with impunity. In the rare case that a player can even combat him in the paint, their efforts are often in vain when he begins tossing treys with the rest of his teammates.
He’s taken the third-most three-pointers on the team by a wide margin and by that volume is also its third-most accurate marksman. He has twice as many rebounds as anyone not named Andrew Bogut and almost a 100 more assists than Curry. He’s closer to a triple-double average than anyone in the league, despite a usage percentage well below such ball dominant players as LeBron James or Russell Westbrook. In short, if Curry is what makes the Warriors unprecedented, Draymond might be what makes them unbeatable.
4. LeBron James
It may be difficult to explain how a four-time MVP who almost won last year’s Finals MVP could be ranked so low. The simple answer is, well, this is a new year. Not that the King has lost a step; his numbers are nearly identical to last year’s. It’s the inescapable feeling that he’s pacing himself. The stakes are incredibly high for Cleveland this season and anything less than a title could send them into a tailspin. As their leader, LeBron’s sights are set on only one trophy and he seemingly remains satisfied in knowing that he could have the other one if he really wanted it. So before considering this a disappointment, maybe we should look at him as the most potent argument for why MVP shouldn’t be awarded until the entire season is over.
3. Chris Paul
CP3 is the Clippers’ best player. If only because the team’s other best player broke his hand on the equipment manager’s face. This is just the latest controversy for a team all too familiar with them, however, this is also another season in which they find themselves near the top of the standings. Of course, “near” is relative, with the disparity between the Warriors and the Spurs, and then everyone else. Yet, considering the Western Conference’s strength and their competitor’s health, Los Angeles has far exceeded expectations without a key contributor. This is inarguably due to Paul’s skill and leadership.
Few players can manage a game like him. His dominance of the ball is actually selfless. Every bounce is spent securing position, surveying the floor, and directing traffic. Without Blake Griffin, the Clippers could best be described as an aging and one-dimensional bunch. But Paul maximizes their potential with the cold and unquestioned efficiency of a dictator. Blake may be what gets the Clippers deep into the playoffs, but he’d be the first to acknowledge that Paul is what got them there in the first place.
2. Kevin Durant
The Thunder missed the playoffs last year. Depending on how this summer goes, the Thunder could miss the playoffs for the next several years. But they currently sit in third place, with hopes of title contention still alive thanks to Kevin Durant. He’s fractions away from another 50/40/90 season and is averaging a career high in both blocks and rebounds. But we’ve barely paid it any attention. That’s because we take excellence for granted and, instead, value excitement. Surely there are several Thunder fans who will remind us of the danger in doing so.
1. Kawhi Leonard
Of course, this brings us to our winner of MVP in any other year, Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs remain the standard bearers for efficiency and this season Kawhi has continued his predecessor’s legacy of expressionless dominance. Like Tim Duncan, Kawhi has become a terror on both ends of the court. His inescapable reach and relentless discipline had already made him the league’s best defender, but this season he’s become more of an offensive threat than anyone could’ve anticipated. He’s unstoppable on the drive, and a machine at the line, making nearly half of his threes and sitting just two free-throw percentage points away from a 50/45/90 season. San Antonio may win 70 games and the title this season, and somehow it wouldn’t surprise anyone, especially Kawhi. Maybe that’s why he never smiles.