There's a lot of debate about the subject this season. A lot of people think it should be Steph Curry. A lot of others favor either James Harden, Lebron James or Michael Westbook. There's an article in this morning's Chronicle about a bit of smack talk between the W's and the Rockets over the respective merits (and candidacies) of Curry and Harden.
I think it depends in no small part on what you consider to be the criteria for selecting the NBA MVP. If it's the best player, it has to be Lebron James. No one else comes even close.
If it's the guy who is most valuable to his team, I think Curry falls short, because the Rockets' GM is right; take away Harden and the Rockets are "essentially nowhere." Take away Curry and the W's are still pretty good; they have a lot of other very good players. The Rockets have nothing like that .
I think that the NBA MVP voters like to spread the wealth a little (Charles Barkley was never, in any single season, as good or as valuable as MJ, but he got it one year), so I think that Lebron James ends up out of the money in this year's voting unless he absolutely goes off in the latter part of the regular season. (Think MVP votes must be submitted prior to start of NBA postseason.) I see it as a two man race between Curry (due primarily to the Warriors' stellar record and entertainment value), and Harden (who is doing it all for the Rockets). Not at all sure who will win.
What do you think?
I think it depends in no small part on what you consider to be the criteria for selecting the NBA MVP. If it's the best player, it has to be Lebron James. No one else comes even close.
If it's the guy who is most valuable to his team, I think Curry falls short, because the Rockets' GM is right; take away Harden and the Rockets are "essentially nowhere." Take away Curry and the W's are still pretty good; they have a lot of other very good players. The Rockets have nothing like that .
I think that the NBA MVP voters like to spread the wealth a little (Charles Barkley was never, in any single season, as good or as valuable as MJ, but he got it one year), so I think that Lebron James ends up out of the money in this year's voting unless he absolutely goes off in the latter part of the regular season. (Think MVP votes must be submitted prior to start of NBA postseason.) I see it as a two man race between Curry (due primarily to the Warriors' stellar record and entertainment value), and Harden (who is doing it all for the Rockets). Not at all sure who will win.
What do you think?
