And they’re off!

With the regular season creeping toward the playoffs, the NBA MVP race is still up for grabs.

James Harden is carrying the Rockets in the overpowered Western Conference. Russell Westbrook is leading the league in points per game, and averaging a triple double. You can’t forget the King, Lebron James is making a strong case for MVP once again this year.

Harden has been phenomenal this year. After being switched to point gaurd at the beginning of the year he is leading the league in assists per game with 11.3. He is also third in points per game with 28.9 points. Harden and his Rockets are ranked third in the Western Conference.

Westbrook, once the sidekick to Kevin Durant, is now in the lead in the MVP race. Westbrook is leading the league in points with 31.7 points. He is also third in the league in assists with 10.4. You also can’t forget the fact that he averages a triple double. Westbrook has 34 triple doubles on the year. That has moved him in second place only behind Oscar Robertson. Westbrook has a chance to pass him before the season is up. I believe that the only thing holding Westbrook back from the MVP title is the fact that his team may not make the playoffs.

Last, but definitely not least, Lebron James. James has arguably had his best season yet statistically. He has career highs in both rebounds and assists. Lebron’s argument for MVP is that if you removed him from the Cavaliers, they would not be a serious threat to win the championship. This has happened each time he has left a team. The year before he left Cleveland, he took them to the finals. The year he left, they were the worst team in the league until he returned to give Cleveland the NBA championship he promised them.
Although my prediction is an unpopular one, I still believe it’s going to happen. I believe that Lebron James is going to win the MVP. My reasoning behind this is that Lebron will lead Cleveland to the top of the Eastern Conference once again as he continues to dominate his competition. I don’t believe that Harden will win the MVP because Harden is sub-par at the defensive end at best. Westbrook won’t be winning the MVP solely because his team won’t make the playoffs. If they did, it would be his without a doubt.