As we head into the new year, let's take a look at my current MVP rankings in the NBA. The rankings are based off of team success, individual performances/numbers, as well as any other intangibles that have been seen this season. Be sure to click the links and/or the photos for video highlights of the players. Outside Looking In
Jimmy Butler (Chicago SG)- 21.9 ppg, 6.2 rbp, 3.3 apg (48% FG, 34% 3PT, 83% FT)
Chris Paul (Los Angeles PG)- 17.9 ppg, 9.5 apg, 4.6 rpg (47% FG, 40% 3PT, 89% FT)
Marc Gasol (Memphis C)- 20.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.8 apg (50% FG, 81% FT, 1.7 BPG)
Top 5
5. James Harden (Houston SG)- The Houston shooting guard has taken over the last few weeks, and was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for his efforts in December. Harden is scoring 27.0 points, and dishing out 6.5 assists, to go along with 1.9 steals per game this season. His biggest game recently came in a 110-95 win over the portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 22. Harden scored 44 points (14-26 FG), dished out seven assists and recorded five steals in the big win. Expect Harden to continue receiving attention as long as his production stays the same, and Houston continues to win games.
4. DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento PF/C)- Cousins missed some time due to illness, but has returned to form over the last two weeks, and is averaging 23.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game for the season. His offense and improving defense make him one of the better two-way players in the league, but in order to climb higher in the rankings, he will need to lead the Kings to more victories. However, his PER of 26.60 (Fifth in the NBA), along with his numbers/skill set. does help provide a solid case for Cousins.
3. Kyle Lowry (Toronto PG)- The recently announced Eastern Conference Player of the Month has been continuing to play at a high level for the 24-10 Toronto Raptors. In the month of December, Lowry averaged 22.3 points, 8.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds, all while shooting 46% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. His grit and tenacity fuels the Raptors night in and night out, and makes him a legitimate MVP candidate at this point in the season.
2. Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- The 21-year-old power forward/center continues to shine on both ends of the court, and is averaging 23.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season. His PER of 31.26 continues to lead the league, and Davis has shown he can compete against the best teams in the league, as evidence by his 29 points, 11 rebound and six block performance against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 27. Barring an injury or for some bizarre reason, a slump, expect Davis to maintain his spot in the MVP conversation for the rest of the season.
1. Stephen Curry (Golden State PG)- Curry continues to shoot lights out from all areas of the court, and the Warriors are looking like top title contenders which each game. His defense has remained consistent and his passing, scoring and rebounding have helped the Warriors to an NBA-best 27-5. His PER of 26.9 is good for fourth in the league, and his 23.0 points and 7.8 assists per game are good for ninth and sixth respectively.
As we reach the quarter mark of the 2014-15 NBA season, most team and players' talent level has been established. We've gotten a chance to see who has played well, who hasn't and who has taken their talents to another level this year. Let's take a look at the top MVP candidates up to this point. The rankings are based off of team success, individual performances/numbers, as well as any other intangibles that have been seen this season.
Outside looking in John Wall (Washington PG)- 17.6 ppg, 10.0 apg, 4.7 rpg (42% FG/31% 3PT/78% FT) Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers PF)- 24.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.9 apg (51% FG/60% 3PT/74% FT)
5. LeBron James (Cleveland SF)- After getting off to a slow start in his second go-around in Cleveland, James appears to be rounding into form and building chemistry with teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The Cavaliers now sit at 13-7, good for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and appear to be finding their grove as a team.
James is averaging 24.8 points, 7.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds so far this season, and has played a big role in the Cavs current eight game winning streak. James will always remain in the MVP debate because of all the things he does for his team, and it should be interesting to see where he ranks later in the season.
4. Kyle Lowry (Toronto PG)- Kyle Lowry is a bad man, and he is finally starting to get some recognition for it on the Raptors. After re-signing with Toronto for 4 years/48 million dollars in the offseason, Lowry is proving that 2013-14 was no fluke. The Villanova product is averaging a career-high 20.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, as well as a steady 7.2 assists per game.
Lowry has constantly put the team on his back (Career-high 39 points in win at Utah on Dec. 3), and has led the Raptors to a 16-5 record, good for first in the Eastern Conference. Look for 28-year-old to receive an all-star nod, and should continue to be in the MVP conversation throughout the season as long as his production and the Raptors' winning ways stay the course.
3. DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento PF/C)- Cousins' game has been trending upward over the past two seasons, and appears to be in full flux in 2014. He is averaging 23.5 points and 12.6 rebounds per game on 51.2% shooting, all three of which would be career-highs if they hold up for the rest of the season. Cousins has bullied defender on the block all season long, and is developing a sweet outside jump shot out to around 18-20 feet.
He has played his best basketball against some of the best defenders in the NBA, as evidence by his 34 point, 17 rebounds performance against DeAndre Jordan, who finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. Cousins is agile, crafty and is learning to play smart basketball, as his goal for this season is no more than five technical fouls (Currently has 2). If the Kings can continue to win games and make a run at the playoffs, "Boogie" will gain more attention later in the season.
2. Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- The 'Brow is one of the most dominant forces in the NBA, and many people forget, he is only 21-years-old. Davis came out of nowhere last year to average 20.8/10 a game, and has only progressed.
Currently, he is tied for third in the NBA in scoring at 24.8 points a game, and is eighth in rebounds at 10.6 per game, which will surely rise as the season progresses. Davis leads the league in blocks with 2.9 per game, and is tied for fourth in steals with 2.5 a game, proving he can make an impact just about anywhere, anytime on the court. His Pelicans are 10-10 in a jam-packed Western Conference, but haven't quite been able to beat the upper tier of teams so far this year. If the Pelicans can crawl into the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed, Davis could possibly be the youngest MVP in league history.
Davis had one of his best overall games of the season in a 112-104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Kevin Durant's return on Dec. 2. Davis scored 25 points (8-15 FG), grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked six shots, dished out four assists and recorded four steals in the win. He showcased any and every part of his game against two of the best players in the league (Durant and Russell Westbrook), and should continue to dominant night in and night out for the rest of the year.
1. Stephen Curry (Golden State PG)- Curry has taken his game to a superstar level this year, plain and simple. Whether it is his natural progression, or it is due to the guidance of head coach Steve Kerr, remains to be seen. One thing is for certain, and that is Curry has cemented his place among the top 10 players in the league, and could crack the top five if his game continues to grow.
The 26-year-old point guard is scoring 23.1 points, dishing out 7.7 assists, and grabbing a career-high 5.5 rebounds per game through the Warriors' first 20 games (18-2 record overall, 13 game win streak). His 49% field goal, 40% 3-point and 92% free throw percentages are all right around or slightly above his career averages, and he is committing 0.6 less turnovers per game as opposed to last season. Barring an unforeseen regression by either Curry or the Warriors, the Davidson product will remain high up in the MVP conversation throughout the season.
Curry's best game of the season came in a 114-97 road win over the Miami Heat on Nov. 25. He scored 40 points on 12-19 shooting (8-11 3PT) and dished out seven assists in the win, completely taking over the game at points. When Curry gets hot from the field, he is nearly unstoppable, and has shown no signs of slowing down, much like his team.
Fans of the NBA and more importantly the Oklahoma City Thunder woke up to startling news a few days ago- Reigning 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant had been injured. Not just an ankle sprain or sore back, but a fractured right foot injury that will sideline him for the first quarter of the NBA season at minimum.
It was a crushing blow to Thunder fans, who were hoping that this was finally the year their team could breakthrough and win an NBA championship. In order to do have the best chance at achieving that, any team in the loaded Western Conference must secure home court and be playing their best basketball going into the NBA's second season. This now seems like a tall task for the Thunder.
Fear not all hope is not lost. You still have Russell Westbrook, one of the most dynamic, athletic and talented guards this game has seen in 20 years. Yes, he has been criticized for taking too many shots when he should have deferred to Durant. Yes he has had his own injury problems (three major knee surgeries in the last two years). Yes, every team will now overload their defense to stop him, as they no longer have to commit most of their attention to covering his injured teammate. They also have Reggie Jackson, Serge Ibaka and Jeremy Lamb; players who are capable of stepping up their game during Durant's absence. But there are several things that head coach Scott Brooks and the rest of the Thunder can do to achieve success in Durant's absence.
Utilize Reggie Jackson
Scott Brooks listen to me on this one. Reggie Jackson can play. The soon-to-be fourth year point guard out of Boston College has show tremendous growth. He started 36 games while Westbrook was injured last year, and showed flashes of scoring ability and leadership. While his shooting percentages will have to improve (44% FG, 34% 3pt), Jackson's athleticism and maturity will help the Thunder on both ends of the floor. The best way to utilize Jackson would be...
2 Guard Line-ups
Speaking of Reggie Jackson. He was used alongside Westbrook later in the season and in the playoffs, with successful results. Teams now had to worry about stopping two quick guards instead of letting the less offensive Thabo Sefolosha, in addition to Durant of course. Jackson and Westbrook are more than capable of running the offense together, as the latter is one of the highest scoring point guards in the league on a yearly basis. In fact, some critics say he isn't a true point guard, rather a hybrid combo-guard. This can and will work in OKC's favor. Both guards will be able to score, as well as run the pick and roll effectively with Ibaka, which will make it extra tough for defenses. Speaking of Ibaka...
Growth From Ibaka
The sixth-year power forward out of the Congo will need to show more improvement in his scoring to keep the Thunder afloat during the first two months of the season. His defense will always be there (career 2.6 blocks per game), and his points per game has gone up each of the last three seasons (career-high 15.1 ppg). However, the 6'10'' big man will have to show more improvement in his post up game to be considered a real offensive threat, so Westbrook does not get double teamed as often. The good news is he is very capable of making this leap. Ibaka's mid-range jumper is very reliable and his athleticism will help him in scoring down low.
Final Thoughts
Thunders fans have no need to fear. Even with a tough schedule in the Western Conference, and the injury to Durant, OKC will be able to post a respectable record in his absence. Scott Brooks and his staff are among the best in the NBA, and will make the proper adjustments to their rotation. Expect Westbrook to shine, and averaged around 25-27 points, seven assists and six rebounds per game while Durant is sidelined. The Thunder open their season on Wednesday, Oct. 29 on the road against the Portland Trailblazers, followed by a contest in Los Angeles against the Clippers the following night.
Westbrook is not only one of the most athletic players in the league, but one of the best finishers at the rim.
