NBA Awards Watch: Klay Thompson on the rise
By Brad Rowland
Most Valuable Player
- James Harden, Houston Rockets – James Harden has been obscenely good in recent days. In January, the left-hander is averaging 27.3 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds with a 49/44/89 shooting line, and at the moment, Harden has scored 33 points or more in four consecutive contests. That recent binge has propelled Harden ahead of the number two player on this list in PER, and at this point in the campaign, Houston’s dynamic floor leader is leading the NBA in win shares (9.9) to boot. James Harden has come a long way from YouTube videos poking fun at his defense, and he has become an all-court force that opposing teams fear.
- Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors – In the midst of the Klay Thompson onslaught, Curry has shown his versatility and offensive brilliance. Curry has 51 assists in Golden State’s last five games (all victories), and the fact that he can pair his scoring ability (22.8 points per game) with a top-five ranking in assists per game (8.2) is scary. The single trait that sets Curry apart will always be his shooting, where he sits at 49% FG, 40% 3-PT and 92% FT right now, but as an overall player, it is tough to argue against the best player on the best team in the NBA.
- Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans – It’s not your fault, Anthony. The Pelicans are actually play very well right now, having won four straight games to improve to 24-21, but Davis should be getting more love than he is, and that is directly tied to team success (or lack thereof). At 21 years old, Anthony Davis leads the NBA in PER (31.91) by a canyon of a margin, and 24.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and a league-leading 2.9 blocks per game, it isn’t difficult to reconcile “advanced metrics” with his traditional production. Being on the equivalent of a .500 team isn’t great for claiming the MVP award, but can you imagine where the Pelicans would be without him?