Your pick for MVP so far?

[Andrew]

It's come up a few times in the Random Discussion thread, so it deserves its own spinoff. Also, I just posted a new poll about it over on the main page.

In any event, who's your pick for MVP so far?

[NBALIVEFernando]

My vote is for Steph Curry right now.

[shadowgrin]

Browzilla.

[benji]

James Harden

[MJALLDAY]

I gotta go with Curry in the lead and Pau Gasol in second.

[Chicago1]

Jimmy Butler

[NovU]

Steph Curry.

[JAWSFreelao]

I have to say Harden or Westbrook. It's really a wide-open race this year.

[Lamrock]

Damian Lillard. Best player on the best team - he has become a superstar this year, scoring at will, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot and putting up big numbers on great efficiency. You can make similar arguments for Steph Curry and James Harden but fuck them

[[Q]]

It has traditionally gone to the best player on the team with the best record, so I'd say Curry, but Davis is probably the best overall player in the league.

[Kevin]

May I know why Kobe is not in the list?

Either Curry or Westbrook or Bryant. It's the year of the guards.

[JAWSFreelao]

Lol'd @Bryant. Don't get me wrong I love him, but shooting 37% for a broken team like the Lakers won't win you an MVP. Not with all the other talent around the league.

[I Hate Mondays]

It has traditionally gone to the best player on the team with the best record, so I'd say Curry, but Davis is probably the best overall player in the league.

Couldn't agree more. But this is not an official rule or something, the MVP reward should go to Davis for his hard work and the individual ability to make his mediocre team somehow challenging. Curry has been beast but I think he just makes the rich richer. Golden State would be fine if he would get injured for a while with Thompson, Green and their consistent bench at its disposal but without Davis, the Pelicans would really struggle at the bottom of the division.

[monja]

Definitely Curry.

[Daarius8]

I give my vote for Derrick Rose

[Alpha_]

Steph Curry

[Kevin]

Pau fucking Gasol.

[Murat]

Stephen Curry.

Or if his team reaches playoffs, Anthony Davis.

[Khanwarrior]

Chef Curry in the lead with the Beard in close second. After that, anything from a Marc Gasol to a Jimmy Butler to a Damian Lillard or Anthony Davis

[Andrew]

It's been an interesting season, with a few of the established stars/perennial candidates being injured and/or not having outstanding seasons thus far, and a lot of younger stars really starting to make their mark. From the MVP to the championship, the league seems as wide open as it's ever been.

As far as the unwritten rule/criteria that the MVP should go to a standout player on a Playoff team, I think that The Brow is a perfectly legitimate candidate, and that an MVP nod would be well-earned. I wouldn't be too inclined to disagree if he keeps up the same level of play, and ends up winning the award. At the same time, there's a part of me that feels it's a bit iffy to give the MVP to a player on a lottery-bound team, but "it doesn't seem right" is not really a valid argument.

I think it just comes down to what's been established as convention. The top candidates for the MVP usually happen to be on good teams, so when you think of the MVP award, you think of players who are having standout seasons on teams that are also enjoying a decent amount of success. With the West being stacked right now, and Davis having such a big year, the time has probably come to re-evaluate that stance, or at least allow for some exceptions.

As for my pick...I've been going back and forth between a few of the current frontrunners, and right now, I'll go with Stephen Curry. He's putting up some pretty nice raw stats in around 33 minutes per game, and he ranks up there in the league leaders in several categories of raw and advanced stats. I think it's a really close race between him, Damian Lillard, and Anthony Davis. James Harden and Jimmy Butler would probably round out my top five.

I'm guessing Kevin's question about Kobe was tongue-in-cheek, but for the sake of discussion...yeah, no. You probably couldn't even call Kobe the MVP of the Lakers so far this season. If you're talking skill, talent, and career accomplishments, then he's certainly the best player on the team. In terms of his performance though, the value of his contributions, you could argue that he's been more of a hindrance; win shares are admittedly an estimate, but for whatever it's worth in terms of defining as player's value to his team, by the numbers, Carlos Boozer has had a more positive impact on the Lakers this season.

[Tha2KProphet]

LEBRON HANDS DOWN

[Kevin]

LEBRON HANDS DOWN

dude.

[ThePointForward]

Curry is having a terrific season.

Harden for DPoY though

[air gordon]

Should add Demarcus cousins to the list

[Mandich]

Should add Demarcus cousins to the list

He should be in the All-NBA teams discussion, sure. MVP? 16-24 team. Kind of like vouching for Love to win it a couple of years back.