The 2018-19 NBA regular season is coming to a close, but the race for MVP is still in full effect. There are many candidates around the league who have made their case for the title so far, and these candidates will continue to push for their name to be called at the 3rd annual NBA Awards show in June. With only a month left until the regular season concludes, let’s take a look at which players have a real shot to be named the 2019 Most Valuable Player.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
The Greek Freak is having a career year for the Bucks this season. Averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage, Giannis has looked virtually unstoppable on the court. Antetokounmpo is making his presence felt on both ends of the court– he’s grabbed the most defensive rebounds and is #1 in defensive rating (98.9), defensive win shares (5.0), win shares (12.5), win shares per-48 (.285) and defensive box plus/minus (5.1). He’s charged the Bucks to the NBA’s best record (52-18), surpassing last year’s 44-win season by eight with 12 games to play. For most people, he is considered the best player on the best team in the NBA, making him the frontrunner for the coveted title.
2. James Harden, Houston Rockets
Harden is having quite possibly the best offensive performance we’ve seen since the Wilt Chamberlain days. Averaging a league high 35.9 points per game, it would be the highest point average for a season since Kobe Bryant‘s 35.4 PPG in 2005-06. The Beard has scored 50+ points six times this year, including a 61-point game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden while only scoring less than 20 points three times.
He’s averaging more points, rebounds, steals and a higher free throw percentage compared to his 2017-18 MVP season last year. The Rockets have been plagued with injuries, seeing two key players in Chris Paul and Clint Capela out for a combined 38 games this season. Despite lacking a consistent supporting cast, Harden has been the engine for the Rockets and their 44-26 record, putting them in third place in the West with a streak of 10 wins over their last 11 games. To top it off, he’s leading the league in usage percentage (40.4), offensive win shares (9.2), box plus/minus (11.2), offensive box plus/minus (10.3) and an 8.1 rating in value over replacement, #1 in the league and a 1.4 advantage over Giannis.
3. Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
PG-13 is having the best year of his career statistically. He’s averaging 28.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and a league-leading 2.2 steals per game, all of those being career-highs as well. He’s become OKC’s main offensive threat, succeeding his MVP teammate Russell Westbrook. Though Westbrook continues to shoot at an outrageous clip for a player whose shot just doesn’t seem to be falling recently, George has been the key factor in keeping the Thunder afloat.
Many players around the league have praised George as well. Blazers point guard Damian Lillard even went on record to say PG is his clear cut favorite for the MVP.
4. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry could quite possibly be the favorite for the MVP title if his team wasn’t essentially the real life version of the MonStars from Space Jam. When Curry isn’t on the floor though, the Warriors just look like a completely different team. The Dubs are 42-15 with the Chef on the floor, but just 5-6 when he’s out. In those games, they’ve lost by more combined points than they’ve won– a true testament to Curry’s value.
Having the benefit of still running a starting lineup with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins in his absence can often drop Curry’s importance into the shadows. But in those shadows, Curry is still shooting 47% from the field, 43% from three and 92% from the FT line. He continues to prove he is undoubtedly the greatest shooter we’ve ever seen.
5. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Denver’s big man is having the best season for a Nuggets player since Carmelo Anthony was a member of the organization. The Joker is seriously something to watch. He passes the ball like a point guard but dominates with his back to the basket like a true center. This season, Jokic is averaging 20.3 points, 10.7 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game– a near triple double. He also shoots 32% from the three point line, which is 9th among active centers in the league.
Jokic is the clear centerpiece in Denver, as he leads his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals all while playing the center position in a league dominated by guards and forwards. The Nuggets are also sitting in second place in the Western Conference– just one game behind the Warriors.
Less than a month remains in the regular season and you can bet all of these players will continue to play at an above average level and try to prove to voters why they should be the 2018-19 Kia MVP. Look for the 3rd Annual NBA Awards to take place this summer and see which one of these 5 players earns the title of Most Valuable Player.
