Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Season stats: 27.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.1 blocks
They say Father Time will always be undefeated, but someone forgot to tell LeBron James. At 33 years old and in his 15th season in the league, he’s putting together the best all-around season of his career.
He’s currently ranked in the top 30 in the league for all five major statistics, and is inside the top 15 for points (third), assists (fourth) and steals (13th). Two of the big criticisms of recent years have also been quieted; he’s added a reliable 3-point stroke (38.7 per cent on 4.9 attempts per game) and improved his free throw shooting (77.8 per cent).
The free throw shooting is nice, but the 3-point shooting makes him virtually unstoppable with ball in hand.
Every made bucket from LeBron's 57 point performance for @cavs! #AllForOne pic.twitter.com/W3Zyen1iIB
— NBA (@NBA) November 4, 2017
What makes his production even more impressive is the adversity it has come from. With Kyrie Irving gone and Isaiah Thomas injured, LeBron kept the Cavaliers afloat early and filled every hole across the roster.
Cleveland started the season 5-7; on the back of LeBron’s outstanding play, they’re now 26-15 and still in the hunt for the first seed. He’s been the point guard, center and everything in between throughout the first half of the season, and he hasn’t missed a single contest despite playing 36.8 minutes per game.
Without a clear-cut favourite, and with Cleveland sitting third in the East despite their adversity, LeBron has to be the mid-season MVP.
Runner up: James Harden, Houston Rockets
Season stats: 32.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.5 blocks
After missing the past five games through injury and being ruled out for the immediate future, James Harden may struggle to compete for MVP honours at the end of the season. But his early form is more than enough to keep him in the running here.
He’s scored over 40 points six times this season, while seamlessly integrating Chris Paul into the offense. His playmaking has been as good as ever, and his defense has shown signs of life with some better help around him.
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It’s a shame he’s hurt, because he was well on his way to competing for a first MVP crown. Get well soon, James!
Next three: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors; Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics; DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors