NBA News 2015: James Harden, Russell Westbrook Leading MVP Talks, What About Steph Curry?
With only a few more games to go before the end of the season, NBA fans and experts have talked about the race for the MVP award more than ever.
Currently, the top two players who are reportedly being considered for the award include Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and James Harden of the Houston Rockets.
Looking at both of these players' stat lines, it will be really close.
Harden currently averages 27.7 points, 6.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals a game – all of which are career-bests for the shooting guard. As a result, the Rockets are currently the second seed in the Western Conference, behind the league-leading Golden State Warriors.
Houston's success has been mainly attributed to Harden, who carried the team during the last couple of months when star center Dwight Howard was recovering from an injury.
On the other hand, Westbrook has been wrecking havoc in the Thunder's most recent games, especially during March. The superstar point guard posted a string of triple-doubles to give OKC a fighting chance to land the final playoff spot.
In the season, Westbrook averages 27.7 points as well, but does a little more on the rebounding (7.3), assists (8.7) and steals (2.1) departments. Like Harden, the 26-year-old Thunder point guard is having a career season as well.
A lot of sports experts and fans are worried that Westbrook's efforts may go to waste if OKC fails to make it to the playoffs. One reason why the Thunder has been inconsistent all season long is due to the injury to reigning MVP Kevin Durant.
Another player who is definitely in the MVP conversation is Steph Curry, who leads the Golden State Warriors in points and assists. However, some reports point out that Curry's value in his team is not as crucial compared to Harden and Westbrook and their respective teams.
