Race to the MVP.

[JordansBulls]

For Durant to win I think he needs to outplay Lebron in the head to heads and finish comfortably ahead in the standings.

Last year he had a better record and strong MVP caliber stats and lost in a landslide to James. Matching the win total isn't going to get it done IMO, OKC needs to separate from MIA especially if Wade keeps missing games.

Not true. Lebron got it last year because he had outproduced everyone by a significant margin, by like 4 points PER wise.

1. LeBron James-MIA 30.7
4. Kevin Durant-OKC 26.2

Win Shares Per 48 Minutes
1. LeBron James-MIA .298
3. Kevin Durant-OKC .230

Win Shares
1. LeBron James-MIA 14.5
4. Kevin Love-MIN 10.0

This year thus far only 1 point difference. Also Miami has significantly more talent this year than last year while the Thunder has less. I do think the Thunder will need to be the top seed for Durant to get it unless San Antonio runs away with the conference and if that is the case, then maybe Duncan will win mvp.

[HurricaneKid]

A player's contribution to his team must be considered. If a player can play 40min he can contribute more to the team. It usually hurts the player's efficiency to play that much. Durant is not hurting his efficiency AT ALL. So yeah, of course it is a benefit to be on the court more. If LeBron plays 35 minutes that means Mia has 5 more minutes of Battier/Lewis. So cumulative contributions have to be weighed. Its the same as if someone got hurt and missed a week or two. Its hard to be MVP when you aren't on the floor accumulating WS.

Its really getting hard to ignore Durant's efficiency in scoring the basketball. I tend to think that Miami now has more capability of playing without LeBron on the floor than they had the last year and a half. This will actually aloow Spo to get LBJ some rest periodically. LeBron is still a far superior playmaker. It will be interesting to watch it all play out but both are certainly worthy.

[JLei]

Durant is the MVP right now at this moment he's playing amazing.

Lebron actually has the media screwed him out of one thing to actually help him.

They already kind of gave the MVP to some other player (Rose 2011) who wasn't as good as Lebron.

Durant isn't and won't be considered a better player the Lebron James this year at least until the Finals or until Miami loses in the playoffs.

Is the media really going to do another...Well this guy is the MVP and we all know he isn't better than Lebron James buttttt this this and this (insert BS excuses like they did for Rose).

I have no problem to Durant winning if he plays at this level all season (which I expect him to do), I just don't think the media will give it to him when they know Lebron is better after they already did that to him in 2011 and basically look stupid for doing so.

[Benedict_Boozer]

Not true. Lebron got it last year because he had outproduced everyone by a significant margin, by like 4 points PER wise. This year thus far only 1 point difference. Also Miami has significantly more talent this year than last year while the Thunder has less. I do think the Thunder will need to be the top seed for Durant to get it unless San Antonio runs away with the conference and if that is the case, then maybe Duncan will win mvp.

I really think the voters don't get into the granular details, maybe some voters like Hollinger do, but the majority likely look at the box score stats/team role to see if someone "qualifies" for MVP and then go to the narrative. Look at Derrick Rose for evidence, he was WAY behind Lebron in PER the year he won MVP, but he won the head to head match-ups and got a better team record - I really think that's what Durant needs to do to win and lock the narrative in his favor because after last years Finals and the Summer Olympics where the media showered Lebron with love he will probably get the benefit of the doubt over Durant in a close race.

Also as you say if SA wins the West and Duncan keeps up his current play, I agree Duncan should get MVP. Will he win it is a different story, but he would totally deserve it over both Durant and Lebron.

[Illhavethelary]

The Knicks are nothing without Melo.

Funny considering his team has a higher offensive rating and defensive rating then him.

[LBJ-ITALY]

The Knicks are nothing without Melo.

Funny considering his team has a higher offensive rating and defensive rating then him.

This!

[[GR]]

The Knicks are nothing without Melo.

Funny considering his team has a higher offensive rating and defensive rating then him.

What?

[NYK_89]

The Knicks are nothing without Melo.

Funny considering his team has a higher offensive rating and defensive rating then him.

Yeah wonder how they are getting open..

[28reloaded]

Well Durant's officially leading the NBA in Offensive AND Defensive win shares

[fallacy]

Well Durant's officially leading the NBA in Offensive AND Defensive win shares

that's absurd

[Bravely Done]

Well Durant's officially leading the NBA in Offensive AND Defensive win shares

Use your eyes.

[OptimusOne6]

Well Durant's officially leading the NBA in Offensive AND Defensive win shares

Use your eyes.

Or use a stat that actually has meaning instead of a stat that makes little to no sense. Of course, you guys are just using whatever stats you can find to backup Durant's case as MVP.

Durant is the MVP, but he is not the best player in the league, not just yet.

[28reloaded]

Durant's scoring seems to be getting better from week to week

Week 1 20.8 ppg 45.0 FG% 30.8 3P% 80.6 FT% 56.5 TS%
Week 2 27.0 ppg 52.1 FG% 44.4 3P% 97.1 FT% 62.0 TS%
Week 3 29.0 ppg 49.3 FG% 52.2 3P% 90.5 FT% 67.7 TS%
Week 4 30.7 ppg 55.8 FG% 42.9 3P% 90.3 FT% 70.1 TS%

He started off the first week poorly, but since then here are his ORTg's

123, 124, 105, 120, 162, 138, 117, 114, 137, 155, 142. Average: 130.6

That number is just insane

[kamelion4291]

Offensive and Defensive Win Shares are a cumulative stat that involves minutes and games played. OKC has played the most games in the league (with San Antonio, Tim Duncan is also tied with Durant for most defensive win shares).

Durant is playing amazing though.

[TheGarden]

The Knicks are nothing without Melo.

Funny considering his team has a higher offensive rating and defensive rating then him.

which is funny because the sample size is smaller, he sits out a lot in garbage time when the bench just destroys opposing benches late in games and when he does sit out early in games all hell breaks loose but you wouldn't know that unless you watch the games

turn on the TV and get off of basketball reference

[og15]

For Durant to win I think he needs to outplay Lebron in the head to heads and finish comfortably ahead in the standings.

Last year he had a better record and strong MVP caliber stats and lost in a landslide to James. Matching the win total isn't going to get it done IMO, OKC needs to separate from MIA especially if Wade keeps missing games.

Not true. Lebron got it last year because he had outproduced everyone by a significant margin, by like 4 points PER wise.

1. LeBron James-MIA 30.7
4. Kevin Durant-OKC 26.2

Win Shares Per 48 Minutes
1. LeBron James-MIA .298
3. Kevin Durant-OKC .230

Win Shares
1. LeBron James-MIA 14.5
4. Kevin Love-MIN 10.0

This year thus far only 1 point difference. Also Miami has significantly more talent this year than last year while the Thunder has less. I do think the Thunder will need to be the top seed for Durant to get it unless San Antonio runs away with the conference and if that is the case, then maybe Duncan will win mvp.

Why does this keep getting said? They lost James Harden and Cole Aldrich, and who did they gain? Kevin Martin, Eric Maynor healthy, and Hasheem Thabeet has played well for them.

They have guys they don't need/aren't using in Perry Jones and Jeremy Lamb.

[theokie]

For Durant to win I think he needs to outplay Lebron in the head to heads and finish comfortably ahead in the standings.

Last year he had a better record and strong MVP caliber stats and lost in a landslide to James. Matching the win total isn't going to get it done IMO, OKC needs to separate from MIA especially if Wade keeps missing games.

Not true. Lebron got it last year because he had outproduced everyone by a significant margin, by like 4 points PER wise.

1. LeBron James-MIA 30.7
4. Kevin Durant-OKC 26.2

Win Shares Per 48 Minutes
1. LeBron James-MIA .298
3. Kevin Durant-OKC .230

Win Shares
1. LeBron James-MIA 14.5
4. Kevin Love-MIN 10.0

This year thus far only 1 point difference. Also Miami has significantly more talent this year than last year while the Thunder has less. I do think the Thunder will need to be the top seed for Durant to get it unless San Antonio runs away with the conference and if that is the case, then maybe Duncan will win mvp.

Why does this keep getting said? They lost James Harden and Cole Aldrich, and who did they gain? Kevin Martin, Eric Maynor healthy, and Hasheem Thabeet has played well for them.

They have guys they don't need/aren't using in Perry Jones and Jeremy Lamb.

I think its pretty obvious that James Harden is better than Kevin Martin. Thats why people say that Durant has less talent around him this year. The tweaks on with bench guys getting 10 minutes a game or so are pretty minimal to the impact of guys getting 30 minutes of game.

Thunder have also switched from a 10 man rotation to a 9 man rotation because of the bench having less talent than last year, at least apparently in Scott Brook's eyes.

Also don't get why you mentioned Aldrich, who never played last year, but failed to mention Cook who was a part of the regular rotation for a majority of the year.

[TheGarden]

Lets not talk about talent around the candidates

James/Durant have superior talent to guys like Carmelo/Rondo/Duncan/Randolph

[theokie]

Lets not talk about talent around the candidates

James/Durant have superior talent to guys like Carmelo/Rondo/Duncan/Randolph

Which is why, much to your dismay, why everyone thinks the Heat and Thunder will meet again in the finals.

The NBA might as well disband every team besides the Heat and Thunder and let them play each other every day all year since it seems the only teams who can get to the Finals are those and the only 2 players in the league are Durant and LeBron

Unless you can make the point that Carmelo/Rondo/Duncan/Randolph etc are all better than LeBron and Durant, then you're probably not going to win an argument that the top 2 teams are OKC and Miami. Just saying. Dont be upset when you yourself apparently see what we all see.

[The_Dream]

Lets not talk about talent around the candidates

James/Durant have superior talent to guys like Carmelo/Rondo/Duncan/Randolph

I'm not sure if you're trying to be sarcastic or not, but it is kind of true.