Photo Credit: Gizabest.com
Anything you can do I can do better. In a nutshell, that has been the dynamic between LeBron James and Kevin Durant this season.
Prior to the All-Star break, Durant seemed to be the unanimous MVP winner. However, since the All-Star break, James has been on fire and evened out the race.
Durant was at his best in January, going on one of the hottest stretches the NBA has ever seen where he averaged 36 points, six rebounds, six assists while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 44 percent from 3-point range with Russell Westbrook sidelined. Durant’s season high was 54 points in a game against the Golden State Warriors. It was the most efficient 50-point game since a guy named Michael Jordan.
Now, Durant is in a dog fight. James scored 61 points Monday night against the Charlotte Bobcats and has the Miami Heat on a roll. Since the break, James has averaged 37.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5 assists on 67.9 percent from the field. Dwyane Wade often misses time which allows James to really take over.
Durant came back with 41 points (in three quarters) against the Philadelphia 76ers. Yes, those 15-46 Sixers who give up 111 points a game, last in the NBA.
Both players have a player efficiency rating (rating of a player’s per-minute productivity) over 30, the only players in the league to do so. Only eight players in history have finished the season with a PER over 30.
Will voters be tempted to select Durant, as LeBron has already won four of the last five MVPs, Derrick Rose was the only other person to win the honor in that time span, or will they be content with voting James again if the race is too close to call? Or if it’s too close to call, will they then base their vote on team success?
A cold spell by either player down the stretch will be the difference between MVP and runner-up, and we all know KD doesn’t want to come in second place in anything anymore.
A NBA game is a game of runs, full of ups and downs, this MVP race has been no different this season. To start the season, James was the leading candidate, then Durant and now it is anybody’s guess.
As we stand, James is averaging 27.4 points, 6.4 assists, 6.9 rebounds and shooting 58 percent from the field and 38 percent from three. Durant is averaging 31.7 points, 5.5 assists, 7.7 rebounds and shooting 51 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.
It very well may end up being the closest MVP race in NBA history.
