The NBA MVP award is very prestigious. For some, it is a once in a lifetime achievement. For others, it is another milestone in a legendary career. Players such as LeBron James and Michael Jordan have won this award on many occasions. Last year, Kevin Durant was able to win his first MVP award, something that was long overdue. This year, James and Durant are not amongst the favorites to win the award. We have seen two players take their game to a whole new level, and are arguably the two best players at their respective positions. Those two players are James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. Both players have made their case to be the MVP; but only one can come away with the award.
The MVP Race: Harden or Curry?
James Harden
2014-2015 season stats: 27.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 2.0 SPG
Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way: James Harden is the best shooting guard in the NBA. It’s not even a discussion. One of my favorite attributes about Harden is that while he is one of the best scorers in the league, he doesn’t only focus on scoring. He is a very unselfish player. While he is one of the best scorers in the game, Harden looks to get his teammates going before he gets himself going. Also, Harden lives at the free throw line. He is one of the best free throw shooters in the league, averaging about eight free throw makes per game. He isn’t afraid to go for the contact, which allows the referees to give him the calls.
Harden has one of the best centers in the league on his team, Dwight Howard. Unfortunately, Howard has missed quite a few games this year due to various injuries. Have the Rockets slowed down with Howard out? Not at all. Harden picks up the slack for the Rockets and shows he is capable of leading a team on his own.
For quite some time, Harden has been noted for his awful defense. But this season, that has changed. We have seen Harden change his mindset, which has led him to averaging 2.0 steals per game, which is top five in the league.
James Harden is a great all around player. With many analysts not having the Rockets as one of the better teams, Harden has led them to one of the top records in the league. It has been a great year for the Beard. Oh yeah, and he’s only 25 years old. The best is still to come.
Stephen Curry
2014-2015 season stats: 23.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 8.2 APG, 2.1 SPG
What a year it has been for Stephen Curry. He has made his case to be the best point guard in the league, and recently got his first signature shoe. Every year, Curry has increased his assists per game. We already know he is going to get his points from the three-point line, but I was hopeful to see Curry get his teammates more involved. He has done just that, averaging 8.2 assists per game. Also, Curry is on pace to have a 50-40-90 season, which is an amazing accomplishment.
The one amazing attribute Curry has is the ability to get his shot off without any help. With his handles and footwork, he can move all around, stop on a dime and get a shot off. His release never changes, no matter where he is shooting from.
With rookie head coach Steve Kerr coming to the Warriors, there were questions about how the team would react to Kerr. Curry bought into the system, and has led this Warriors team to the top seed in a loaded Western Conference. At this point, it is safe to say that Curry has taken the point guard throne. You can never get tired of watching him go at it every single night on the court. He was also able to be the lead vote-getter for the All Star Game, props to Curry for that.
Conclusion
With All Star Weekend right around the corner, I would have to give the MVP award to Stephen Curry. Curry has been outstanding all season, and has beaten Harden in both matchups this season. That is a factor that the voters will definitely take into consideration. Things could change, but right now Curry is the favorite.
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