The NBA MVP Race

This season has had one of the best MVP races in recent memory. With the season coming to an end there are four very deserving candidates and in a different year they would be well deserving of winning the trophy. But we can only have one winner. Let's see the top 10 most valuable players so far:

1.  James Harden-Houston Rockets 27.5 ppg | 7.0 apg | 5.7 rpg | 26.81 PER

What Harden has been doing this year is nothing short of amazing. He has carried the Rockets to the second seed in the tough Western Conference and the third best record in the NBA. It is even more amazing considering the fact that Dwight Howard has only played 36 of a possible 76 games this season. Including Howard the Rockets have had a ridiculous amount of injuries to their entire team.

• Patrick Beverley- Played 56 games Out for the season with a torn ligament
• Terrence Jones- Played 27 games has been out with 5 different injuries this season
• Kostas Papanikolau- Played 41 games has been out with knee and ankle injuries
• Joey Dorsey has played 63 games

You can make an argument that Trevor Ariza, who hasn't missed a game this season, has been the second best player for Rockets. The 51-point game that Harden delivered on Wednesday vs the Kings was a perfect example of what a talented scorer he is. He went 16-25 from the field in addition to 8-9 from 3 along with 8 rebound and 6 assists. Harden can score on you from the outside, inside, free throw line, or mid range. He really is one of the most talented scorers we have in the league today and he is my vote for MVP.

2. Stephen Curry- Golden State Warriors 23.8 ppg | 7.8 apg | 4.3 rpg | 27.87 PER

This has been a magical season for the Warriors, posting a 60+ win season for the first time in franchise history along with the best record in the NBA. In addition the Warriors clinched their first division title since 1975-1976. It has also been a fantastic season for the phenom Stephen Curry. He is 16 3's away from breaking his own record of 3-pointers in a season while shooting a ridiculous 43.6% from deep. That percentage is extremely impressive when you consider the fact that he takes a league leading 8 3-pointers a game. His ability from the 3-point line makes him practically impossible to guard. The Warriors have an all around great team but Curry truly makes them one of the championship favorites. He will be a joy to watch for years to come. 

3. Russell Westbrook- Oklahoma City Thunder 27.6 ppg | 8.7 apg | 7.3 rpg | 29.01 PER

With the injury to Kevin Durant we have seen Westbrook fully unleashed and it has been amazing to watch. He has 10 triple-doubles this season, including that ridiculous stretch where he pulled off four consecutive triple-doubles. To put in perspective how impressive that streak was there is a four-way tie for second place and each of those players only has three triple-doubles each. When Westbrook steps on the floor it is must see basketball. You don't know if he's going to have another ferocious dunk, an unbelievable block, or a game winning shot. He plays every game with his heart out and you have to respect the intensity he brings to the court. Kobe Bryant was quoted saying that "Westbrook has Mamba blood in him" which is as high praise as you can get. But the sad truth is that no matter how well Westbrook plays he won't be a serious candidate for MVP with the Thunder being an 8th seed. 

4. LeBron James- Cleveland Cavaliers 25.6 ppg | 7.3 apg | 5.9 rpg | 26.07 PER

In 2011 Derrick Rose won the MVP and many felt it was controversial because voters were too tired of voting for LeBron and they wanted a new winner. There is a debate to be had on whether or not Rose deserved that MVP but you cannot make that argument this year. There are great candidates this year and it will not be up for debate if/when LeBron doesn't win MVP. Now this isn't a knock against LeBron, it is actually evidence for how many great performances there have been by many different players this season. LeBron has been his usual great self, leading the Cavs to the second best record in the Eastern Conference. Kyrie Irving has had a great season himself, but take no mistake this is LeBron team. They have been 28-6 since LeBron came back from injury including an impressive 15-1 record against the Western Conference. 

5. Chris Paul- Los Angeles Clippers 19.2 ppg | 10.2 apg | 4.6 apg | 25.83 PER

It is bizarre to think that the best point guard in the NBA has been under the radar this season, but that is what exactly has happened this season. With the impressive performances of guards such as Curry, Westbrook, and Irving, CP3 has been putting up another great season without much fanfare. His 41 point 17 assist games vs the Blazers on Wednesday was proof that Paul could still take over games if he wanted to. The most impressive thing about Paul's game was that he a turnover on the first play of the game, and didn't have a single turnover for the rest of the game. What makes the Clippers so dangerous in the playoffs is that CP3 can shut down the other teams point guard while scoring and passing at will. Many people thought the Clippers would tumble down the standings with Blake Griffin out with injury; instead they have stayed 5th in the West and are one game away from home court advantage in the first round thanks to Chris Paul.

6. Anthony Davis- New Orleans Pelicans 24.6 ppg | 10.4 rpg | 2.1 apg | 31.15 PER

Before the season there was a lot of debate when ESPN ranked Anthony Davis as the third best player in the NBA. People brushed it off and somewhere Davis must have been listening. He has been on an absolute tear this season and is on track to win an MVP in the future. He plays like a young Kevin Garnett and that has to make Pelican fans ecstatic. His ability to attack the basket as well as defend the basket makes him one of the most versatile players in the NBA. Davis is as athletic as anyone in the NBA and just having him in the paint automatically makes the Pelicans one of the better defensive teams in the league. His potential is through the roof and watching him drag a mediocre Pelicans team to the 9th seed as a 22-year old is impressive in its own right. Even though we probably won't see Davis in the playoffs this year, watching him this season has been a pleasure. I expect to see Anthony Davis play basketball deep into April and May soon, as he is going to take over the league.

7. LaMarcus Aldridge- Portland Trailblazers 23.6 ppg | 10.3 rpg | 1.8 apg | 22.90 PER

LaMarcus has continued to be one of the most underrated players in the league. His play style isn't as entertaining as the players above him on this list, but he still gets results. The Blazers are sitting as the 4th seed in the West even though they have been hit with a myriad of injuries. Sharpshooter Wesley Matthews is out for the season with an Achilles injury and Dorrell Wright is set to miss 4-6 weeks with a hand injury. In addition to these injuries, Damian Lillard and Nicolas Batum have had down seasons. It is impressive that Aldridge has been able to lead this team to where they are and home court advantage in the playoffs would be huge for this injury-riddled team. People may be sleeping on Aldridge in the long regular season, but he'll make sure to remind everyone that he is one of the best power fowards in the league come playoff time. 

8. Paul Millsap- Atlanta Hawks 17.0 ppg | 7.9 rpg | 3.0 apg | 20.17 PER

At number 8 comes Millsap is also a forward who is not talked about often. With the success of the Hawks this season Millsap has been the steady force leading this team. He is the experienced veteran that can be counted on to make the right play in crunch time. Nobody expected the Hawks to be in first place like they are and it has been a combined team effort. However in the playoffs when the Hawks need a basket they trust Millsap to bail them out if necessary. If the Hawks want to win a championship they will need Millsap's experience and his leadership. 

9. Marc Gasol- Memphis Grizzlies 17.5 ppg | 7.9 rpg | 3.8 apg | 21.52 PER

One of the most consistent players in the NBA, Gasol has put in another fine season. Every year analysts peg the Grizzlies as the dark horse to win the championship and they have come up short every year. The Grizzlies will need a great performance from the Gasol to reach the ultimate prize. He has been great on the defensive end but needs to perform on offense as well when the Grizzlies go on dry spells and can't score. In the Western Conference playoffs it is difficult to beat any team and the road to the Finals is tough, but the Grizzlies have the roster and depth for a deep run. However, they will need an MVP type performance from Marc Gasol.

10. Pau Gasol- Chicago Bulls 18.5 ppg | 11.8 rpg | 2.8 apg | 22.80 PER

As a Lakers fan it's bittersweet to see Pau play so well this season. He truly has had a renaissance year and has been the best player for the Chicago Bulls this season. Gasol has been fantastic on the offensive end and leading the team in scoring with Derrick Rose out yet again. The Bulls have the third best record in the East and are primed for a playoff run once everyone get healthy. The Eastern Conference is wide open and if Gasol can put together a good couple of months like he has been this season, the Bulls could be playing in June for the championship.